Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, has acquired all rights in the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland to the supernatural horror feature THE CLEANSING HOUR starring Ryan Guzman (The Boy Next Door, Everybody Wants Some!), Kyle Gallner (American Sniper, The Haunting in Connecticut), and Alix Angelis (The Magnificent Seven, Love’s Last Resort).
The film centers around millennial entrepreneurs, Max (Guzman) and Drew (Gallner), who run a popular webcast that streams “live exorcisms” that are, in fact, elaborately staged hoaxes watched by millions. However, their fortunes take a turn when during one of their webcasts, Drew’s fiancée becomes mysteriously possessed by a real demon that takes the crew hostage. In front of a rapidly growing global audience, the demon subjects the crew to a series of violent and humiliating challenges that expose dark secrets they have been hiding from each other.
“Fun, fresh, scary, THE CLEANSING HOUR grabs you and takes you on the wildest of rides. We’re very excited to bring it to Shudder members in 2020,” said Shudder’s Emily Gotto.
“Shudder is the perfect home for THE CLEANSING HOUR. Their passionate, horror-savvy members will relish the provocative issues surrounding technology, voyeurism and the lengths people will go to for online fame,” said Jason Möring of DDI.
The deal was negotiated by Emilly Gotto of Shudder and Jason Möring of DDI on behalf of the filmmakers. The film will have its world premiere later this month at Fantastic Fest in Austin, and its European premiere next month at the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia.
THE CLEANSING HOUR is the debut feature for director Damien LeVeck, who also directed the short film from which the feature was adapted. The short debuted at Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival in 2016, won Best Horror Short at Shriekfest Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Overlook Film Festival, among many other accolades. Shirit Bradley (Godzilla: King of the Monsters) , Dan Clifton (A Violent Separation, The Belko Experiment), Natalie LeVeck and Damien LeVeck from Skubalon Entertainment are producing the project. Aaron Horwitz (Roommate Wanted) co-wrote the screenplay for the feature along with LeVeck.