IFC Films Buys Psychological Thriller ‘Stopmotion’ Ahead of Fantastic Fest Debut (EXCLUSIVE)
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IFC Films has acquired North American and select International rights to “Stopmotion,” a psychological horror film that will have its world premiere at Fantastic Fest this September. The indie distributor will release the movie in theaters in 2024, followed by a streaming debut on Shudder, AMC Networks’ streaming service for horror, thrillers and other films about the supernatural. IFC’s parent company is AMC.
Directed by Robert Morgan, “Stopmotion” stars Aisling Franciosi (“The Nightingale”) as Ella Blake, a stop-motion animator who is struggling to control her demons after the loss of her overbearing mother. Suddenly alone in the world, she creates a macabre new puppet film, while struggling to maintain her sanity. As Ella’s mind starts to fracture, the characters in her animated film take on a terrifying life of their own, and the unleashed power of her imagination threatens to destroy her.
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“IFC and Shudder are ecstatic to bring Robert Morgan’s riveting live-action/animation hybrid to audiences everywhere. ’Stopmotion’ is excellent as it weaves together a unique, psychological-horror with unbelievable visuals,” said Scott Shooman, head of AMC Networks’ film group. “The film joins the ranks of critically acclaimed titles such as ‘Mad God’ and ‘The Wolf House’ – breaking ground for how we perceive stop-motion in horror. We are thrilled to distribute Morgan’s first full-length feature for its theatrical release and presence on our streaming platform, Shudder.”
“IFC’s superb back catalogue speaks for itself, and Shudder’s embracing of the weirder and distinctive side of horror cinema means this is the perfect home for my first feature,” said Morgan. “I’m thrilled to be teaming up with them, and I’m excited to share ‘Stopmotion’ with audiences very soon.”
The film is written by Morgan and Robin King, and produced by Alain de la Mata and Christopher Granier-Deferre of BlueLight.
Other AMC Film Group titles premiering at this year’s Fantastic Fest include “When Evil Lurks,” “Infested” and “V/H/S/85.”
The deal for “Stopmotion” was negotiated by Eva Diederix (head of sales) and Isabelle Denis (head of legal) for Goodfellas and Scott Shooman on behalf of IFC Films.
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