AMC Streamer Shudder Picks Up Zombie Thriller ‘Blood Quantum’ For US, UK & Australia; XYZ Strikes Int’l Pacts

EXCLUSIVE: Shudder, AMC Networks’ genre streaming service, has picked up U.S., UK/Ireland, and Australia/NZ rights to zombie thriller Blood Quantum from XYZ Films.

In Blood Quantum, the dead are coming back to life outside the isolated Mi’gmaq reserve of Red Crow, except for its indigenous inhabitants who are immune to the zombie plague. Amid the chaos, a tribal sheriff must protect his son’s pregnant girlfriend, apocalyptic refugees, and reserve riff raff from the hordes of walking white corpses.

Directed and written by Mi’gmaq filmmaker Jeff Barnaby, the film stars Michael Greyeyes (Fear The Walking Dead), Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (On the Farm) and Forrest Goodluck (The Revenant). Producers are John Christou for Prospector Films and Rob Vroom. Madrona Drive also executive produced the film alongside XYZ.

The film recently wrapped shooting in Montreal, Canada and the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory as well as Barnaby’s hometown of Listuguj, Quebec. The deal for US, UK/Ireland, and Australia/NZ was brokered by Nate Bolotin and Tatyana Joffe of XYZ Films on behalf of the filmmakers, and by Emily Gotto for Shudder.

XYZ has also sold the film in multiple international territories including Koch Films for Germany, Minerva in Italy, Klockworx in Japan, Lumix in South Korea, Falcon in Indonesia, MovieCloud in Taiwan, MVP in India, Shaw Renters in Singapore, Falcon in the Middle East, and FOX Network Group Asia Pacific – Pan Asia PTV/SVOD.

Elevation Pictures will distribute in Canada, while Entract Films will distribute the film in Quebec. Bell Media’s Crave has the first-window broadcast rights in Canada. Financing for the production was provided by Telefilm Canada, SODEC, Canadian Media Fund, and The Harold Greenberg Fund.

Director Barnaby said, “Natives have been on screen for 100 years but have never controlled that image. In the age of representation, Shudder is putting their money where their mouth is and providing an opportunity for a whole new generation of indigenous genre filmmakers. They’re breaking that glass ceiling and opening the books on a whole new perspective. They’re making a genuine difference.”

“We are thrilled to bring Jeff Barnaby’s Blood Quantum to Shudder,” said Gotto. “Jeff and his bold vision are at the forefront of Shudder’s ethos of original, provocative and stirring genre stories. The film is a new, first nations perspective on a classic genre, a film that takes zombies in a new direction as it harkens back to the meaningful and politically aware roots of George Romero.”

The film marks Barnaby’s sophomore feature following Rhymes For Young Ghouls.