Amazon Studios Acquires Ninian Doff’s SXSW Horror-Comedy ‘Boyz In The Wood’

Dino-Ray Ramos

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EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Studios has acquired the worldwide rights to Ninian Doff’s debut feature Boyz In The Wood which stars Izzard, Kate Dickie, Georgie Glen, James Cosmo and a up-and-comers Samuel Bottomley, Viraj Juneja, Rian Gordon and Lewis Gribben. The horror-comedy made its world premiere as the opening Midnight Movie at SXSW and received rave reviews before moving on to a noteworthy festival run.

Written and directed by Doff and produced by Tobey Maguire and Matthew Plouffe’s Material Pictures, Boyz In The Wood is set deep in the Scottish Highlands and gives an irreverent take on generational politics, hip-hop loving farmers, and hallucinogenic rabbit shites. The satirical story, which features a playlist of tone-appropriate rappers including Danny Brown, Vince Staples, Run The Jewels, and original music from Scottish producer S-Type, follows four city boys trying to escape a mysterious huntsman (Izzard). The Scottish Highlands’ police unit trails behind, failing spectacularly to provide assistance.

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“This is genuinely a dream come true,” said Doff. “Like all first films Boyz In The Wood was made with enormous passion and love by cast and crew (often in Scotland’s pouring rain) and it’s amazing to have Amazon bringing it to a global audience whom I hope will fall in love with our young cast and join the DJ Beatroot fan club the way we all did! I set out to make a film that you’d watch on a Friday night with your friends and laugh your ass off, but then wake up Saturday morning and decide to change the world. To have Amazon’s backing feels like what was once just a pipe dream suddenly became reality.”

“Filmmaker Ninian Doff is an extremely talented storyteller whose distinct and dynamic voice immediately draws you in,” said said Julie Rapaport, Co-Head of Movies at Amazon Studios. “Boyz In The Wood is a hysterical and riotous story that takes the audience on a fun and entertaining journey of adolescence and growing up. We’re excited to continue working with the producers of Material Pictures after our success with them on the recent release of Brittany Runs a Marathon.”

In addition to Maguire and Plouffe’s Material Pictures, the film is produced by Brian Coffey of Highland Midgie and Laura Tunstall of Nowhere. Executive Producers are Eddie Izzard, Richard Weinberg of Material, Tim Headington and Lia Buman of Tango Entertainment, Thomas Benski, Davud Karbassioun and Marisa Clifford of Pulse Films, and Mette-Marie Kongsved of Nowhere.

The deal was negotiated by Mark Ankner and Christine D’Souza Gelb of Endeavor Content and Evan Krauss of Eisner LLP on behalf of the film. Doff is represented by Paradigm and McKuin Frankel Whitehead LLP.

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