‘47 Meters Down’ Filmmaker Johannes Roberts To Direct Horror ‘The Not Polly’; Jade Pettyjohn Starring – AFM

EXCLUSIVE: Going into the American Film Market, Bankside Films is launching international sales on horror The Not Polly, which will be directed by 47 Meters Down filmmaker Johannes Roberts.

Bankside and Roberts are teaming on the film with Japanese producer and music industry executive Yasushi Akimoto who originated the film’s story. Production is scheduled for the end of this year in Kentucky.

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Little Fires Everywhere and Destroyer actress Jade Pettyjohn is set to star in the movie as Polly, the most popular and most beautiful girl in school, who wakes up after a party to find that she is trapped in a morgue, apparently dead, with no reflection, no pulse and no heartbeat. To make matters worse, she has been possessed.

James Harris (47 Meters Down) of Tea Shop Productions is producing alongside Sean DeMott (The Free Fall). Riki Melwani (Crows Blood) and Eiko Matsumoto from Akimoto Studios will also be producing. CAA Media Finance is repping North American rights.

Multi-hyphenate Akimoto, one of Japan’s most prolific film and TV producers, recently partnered with Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Inc to develop his novel The Elephant’s Back for an international audience and We Can’t Work Together as an international TV series.

Pettyjohn is also known for series including ABC’s Big Sky and HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones. She recently wrapped production on the super-natural thriller movie Burnouts.

Roberts is best known for directing underwater thriller 47 Meters Down which took more than $60 million at the box office against a budget reportedly less than $5M. The film was succeeded by 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, released in theaters in 2019 and the franchise has now grossed more than $100M worldwide.

Roberts also wrote and directed the Alexandre Aja-produced ghost story The Other Side of the Door as well as Strangers – Prey at Night starring Christina Hendrix. In 2021 he wrote and directed Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, a reboot of the franchise. Roberts is currently developing Flight at Paramount Pictures with Weed Road and James Harris producing. He directed a segment of the upcoming V/H/S/99, which is premiered at this year’s Toronto Film Festival.

Roberts said: “I’m so excited to be working with Bankside and the whole team on this project as they truly get my twisted vision! I can’t wait for an audience to experience this darkly comic yet terrifying film.”

Akimoto added: “It all started from an idea. What if one of the bodies at the morgue woke up and started searching for the truth. I wanted to make this concept into a horror movie. I am already very excited knowing Johannes Roberts of 47 Meters Down will be directing my original story.”

Stephen Kelliher of Bankside Films said: “The Not Polly is a completely original and hugely entertaining take on a horror story which audiences are going to have lot of fun with. Johannes who has proven time and again that he knows how to connect with broad audiences at the international box office and The Not Polly is set to be his next big hit.”

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