‘On Halloween.’
Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American and UK rights to On Halloween, Timothy Boyle’s micro-budgeted horror movie about a killer clown.
Operating virtually as a one-man band, Boyle wrote, produced, directed and photographed the US-set film inspired by the creepy clown sightings of 2016, which prompted some impressionable people to go clown hunting.
His associate producer Jeremy Cook was on hand at times to help move the lights and organise the cast.
Giselle van der Wiel stars as a journalist who uncovers a shocking urban legend about a serial killing clown who has stalked the woods of Century Park for over 100 years.
Patch May plays her husband with Aaron J March as her cameraman and Ivan Topic, Robert Harrell and James Pratt as cops who hunting down the clown. Terry Serio and Telen Rodwell play clowns.
“We had multiple offers after last year’s AFM for US distribution but after chatting with fellow Australian producer friends and discussing the ins and outs of the deal with the executive producers, we decided to move ahead with Vertical Entertainment,” Boyle, who heads Boiling Point Pictures, tells IF.
“Our UK-based sales agent Devilworks, in particular Matteo Rolleri and Samantha Richardson, have done an amazing job in selling the film into the international market and we look forward to seeing the film’s release to a larger global audience.”
In the US Vertical Entertainment is weighing up whether to release the film in cinemas and on-demand day-and-date, or go straight to VOD.
Jay Laga’aia in ‘Shadow Wars.’
The company launched the UK arm last November and collared On Halloween along with US genre titles Run With The Hunted, Dinner With Friends (formerly Friendsgiving) and Behind You.
Boyle is in discussions with Australian distributors and exhibitors, noting: “My hope would be a nice local Australian release, theatrically and VOD, but if we only sell rest of world and US domestic, I won’t be complaining.”
Meanwhile the filmmaker aims to complete his fourth feature Shadow Wars, which he began shooting nearly 10 years ago, in mid-2020.
Tasma Walton plays Julie Madsen, whose life is turned upside down after surviving a horrific car accident. She awakens 15 years later with the strange psychic ability to see auras but is sent to a psychiatric hospital, where she meets others like her, who have psychic abilities.
Steve Bastoni is the colonel who runs a top secret military branch known as Project Zero, which uses these psychic abilities to create soldiers who fight a secret psychic war between various nations.
John Rhys-Davies is Julie’s long time friend and work colleague, with Terry Serio as an evil doctor, Peter Phelps as a slightly insane guy who has the ability to see through objects and Jay Laga’aia as a doctor who helps Julie.
“We’ve been making this film one shot at a time,” Boyle says. “The reason for the delay has been the extensive VFX slate. We’re not averse to having someone come in and help us finish the project.”