IFC Midnight, Shudder Buy Supernatural Thriller ‘Consecration’ From AGC Studios (EXCLUSIVE)

IFC Midnight and Shudder are acquiring North American rights to “Consecration,” a supernatural thriller from AGC Studios. The film boasts a cast that includes Jena Malone of “The Hunger Games” franchise, Danny Huston from “Wonder Woman” and “Children of Men,” and Janet Suzman, a stage and screen doyenne who received an Oscar nomination for her work in “Nicolas and Alexandra.” Christopher Smith (“Detour”) directs from the script he wrote with Laurie Cook (“The Banishing”).

IFC Midnight will release the film in theaters in 2023 with Shudder subsequently taking the first streaming window exclusively. Both companies share a parent company in AMC Networks.

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In the film Grace (Malone) goes to the Mount Saviour Convent in Scotland to find out what was behind the suspicious death of her brother, a priest. She is initially helped by Father Romero (Huston), but she soon comes to distrust the account of the church as she uncovers murder, sacrilege and a disturbing truth about her own shadowy past that brings long-buried trauma to the surface.

“Consecration” is produced by Xavier Marchand of Moonriver Content, Jason Newmark of Newscope Films and Laurie Cook of Bigscope Films. It was financed by AGC with additional financing by Sherborne Capital. AGC founder Stuart Ford is executive producing along with Linda McDonough, AGC’s Miguel Palos and co-executive producer Zachary Garrett, together with Bigscope’s Ed Fraiman and Adam Nagel. Casey Herbert of Moonriver Content is co-producing.

Arianna Bocco, president of IFC Films, said, “Christopher Smith is the premiere contemporary genre filmmaker working today. He is a true original, and we’re thrilled to finally work with him at IFC Films and Shudder. We could not be more excited to be back in business with Stuart and the team at AGC Studios.”

The deal for the film was negotiated by IFC Films’ head of acquisitions and production Scott Shooman with AGC’s SVP of legal & business affairs Anant Tamirisa on behalf of the filmmakers. The film will be screened for international buyers at AFM.

We’re excited to continue our ongoing relationship with Arianna, Scott and the IFC Midnight team on ‘Consecration,'” said Ford. “They did outstanding work on Neill Blomkamp’s ‘Demonic’ for us last year and also on Chloe Okuno’s ‘Watcher’ last summer which we were privileged to be a partner on. When they watched the film the IFC Midnight team immediately understood ‘Consecration’s’ marketing possibilities and theatrical potential.”

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