Shudder and Independent Film Company have picked up River, the feature directorial debut of Joshua Giuliano, ahead of its upcoming […]
Shudder and Independent Film Company have picked up River, the feature directorial debut of Joshua Giuliano, ahead of its upcoming World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, with another major genre festival already lined up immediately afterward.
River will make its world premiere as the Opening Night film of TIFF’s Midnight Madness program before heading to Austin for its U.S. premiere at Fantastic Fest, which runs September 17-24.
And the cast alone should put this one on horror fans’ radar.
Jane Levy (Evil Dead, Don’t Breathe) and Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day) star as estranged sisters who reunite with their younger brother, played by Max Mattern, to scatter their father’s ashes along a remote river.
When their boat breaks down beneath a derelict bridge, they become stranded with Dane DiLiegro (Prey) watching them from the shoreline as a mysterious, faceless killer.
TIFF Midnight Madness programmer Peter Kuplowsky is already hyping the hell out of this one, calling Giuliano’s feature debut an “audacious nerve-shredder” and praising the filmmaker for winding the suspense with the confidence of John Carpenter.
“Giuliano has carved a whole new ‘Shape’ in terror,” Kuplowsky writes in his TIFF program notes.
That’s one hell of an endorsement.
River is based on Giuliano’s acclaimed 2018 short In Sound, We Live Forever and marks his feature directorial debut. Shudder will release the film as a Shudder Original, with Independent Film Company handling its theatrical release. It was first announced at last year’s AFM, before production began.
River is produced by Steven Schneider (Insidious, Paranormal Activity) from Spooky Pictures, Nick Antosca and Alex Hedlund (Brand New Cherry Flavor, Chucky, Verity) from Eat the Cat, and is Executive Produced by Jeffrey Tinnell and Robert Tinnell (The Hunted, Feast of the Seven Fishes) from Allegheny Image Factory as well as Matt Brodlie and Jonathan Kier from Upgrade.
