EXCLUSIVE: Shudder has acquired multiple territories for the indie thriller Influencer from Kurtis David Harder — the filmmaker with whom it’s previously been in business on titles like Spiral. The award-winning feature, which launched its festival run at last year’s Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, will bow on the streamer this spring in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Latin America.
Influencer tells the story of Madison (Emily Tennant), a popular social media influencer who is having a lonely and uneventful trip in Thailand despite what she tells her followers on Instagram. While reflecting on her boyfriend canceling the trip, she meets CW (Cassandra Naud), a fearless and enigmatic traveler who offers to take her to some of the most Instagram-worthy locations. Together they share authentic meals and drinks with locals, discussing the differences between Madison’s online presence and CW’s lack of one. After showing Madison all of the amazing sights, things take a different turn when CW brings her to a surprise location — a deserted island that is completely off the grid.
Harder directed Influencer from his script written with Tesh Guttikonda. The pair also produced alongside Brandon Christensen, Jack Campbell and Micah Henry. The ensemble of the pic, shot on location in Thailand, is rounded out by Sara Canning and Rory J. Saper.
Today’s Influencer deal was negotiated by Jackrabbit Media’s President & CEO Jack Campbell, along with Emily Gotto from Shudder. Jackrabbit Media will now look to sell remaining international rights at EFM 2023. Additional territories sold thus far include GAS (Plaion), Middle East (Eagle), France (Factoris), Benelux (Premiere TV), Poland (Media4fun), CIS & Ukraine (Top Film) and South Korea (Big Wave).
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Said Shudder’s VP, Global Acquisitions & Co-Productions, Gotto: “Influencer is a thought-provoking and suspenseful exploration of the world of social media, and we are thrilled to share it with Shudder members this spring as part of an already exciting lineup of some of the best in horror filmmaking.”
Remarked Jackrabbit’s Campbell: “We are excited to be working with Shudder to bring Influencer to audiences around the world. The film has already received critical acclaim and we believe it will resonate with audiences everywhere.”
Harder added that he is “thrilled to finally announce that our film Influencer will make its debut on Shudder later this year. It’s the perfect destination for our tropical thriller, as Shudder’s commitment to innovative horror is unmatched in the streaming world.”
Shudder earlier this month began streaming Skinamarink — the Canadian horror that broke out at the box office in its early 2023 theatrical release via IFC Midnight, grossing almost $2MM against a budget of just $15,000. Other titles soon coming aboard the platform include Nekromantic and its sequel, The Final Terror and Lust for a Vampire, to name a few.
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