‘Terrifier’ Star Lauren LaVera Fights for Survival in Cannes Thriller ‘Man or Bear’

Priscilla Ross Smith and Kendall Anlian of The Coven are reuniting with Lauren LaVera (Terrifier 2, Terrifier 3), the breakout “final girl” of the Terrifier franchise, as they launch sales in Cannes this week on survival thriller Man or Bear, reports ScreenDaily.

Man or Bear centers on Alex (LaVera), a solo female backpacker who encounters an overly friendly male hiker traveling without gear who insists on tagging along. As his behavior becomes increasingly erratic, Alex is forced to battle both her own instincts and a deadly wilderness predator in a desperate fight for survival.

The film is directed by Teresa Sutherland, who made her debut on Lovely, Dark and Deep, distributed in the U.S. by XYZ Films. She also previously served as a staff writer on Mike Flanagan’s Netflix series Midnight Mass.

Jaime Saginor, who will also appear in a supporting role, wrote the screenplay based on the short film Black Creek Trail, which she previously wrote and produced alongside ErinRose Widner.

“This project was created after I had a terrifying solo backpacking experience,” said Saginor. “At heart, this psychological thriller explores intuition, and why a woman might be so quick to abandon hers, even when her life is at stake.”

Joanne Rubino of Be Brave Media and David Clark of Mazo Partners are producing.

Production is scheduled to begin this summer.

The Coven handles international sales on the Terrifier films. The most recent installment, Terrifier 3, earned $36 million internationally and $53.9 million domestically through Cineverse, for a worldwide total of $90.3 million.

The company’s Cannes sales slate also includes worldwide rights to Ken Kabatoff’s possession horror Remnant, international sales on slasher film Blood Wine from Eric Ivey and Jarod N. Wright, and Mark O’Brien’s exorcism thriller The Voices of Our Mother.