MPI Media Group & Dark Sky Take North America For Golshifteh Farahani Thriller ‘Hood Witch’

Melanie Goodfellow
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

EXCLUSIVE: MPI Media Group has acquired North American distribution rights for Saïd Belktibia’s French thriller Hood Witch starring Golshifteh Farahani and Denis Lavant.

The Chicago-based company announced the acquisition on the eve of the film’s screening at horror-focused The Overlook Film Festival in New Orleans this weekend, following a buzzy world premiere at SXSW.

More from Deadline

MPI will release the movie via its genre subsidiary Dark Sky Films in late fall 2024.

Iranian and French acting star Farahani (Pirates of the Caribbean, Extraction, Extraction 2) plays a single mother who makes a living from smuggling exotic animals and illicit products such as birds of prey, venom and rare roots.

In a bid to get her son out of the city and offer him a better future, she designs and develops a mobile app that connects clients and marabouts.

It is a success but a patient’s consultation turns into a tragedy and she finds herself facing a wave of violence that could cost her and her son their lives.

The thriller is produced by Paris and L.A.-based feature film company and commercial content company Iconoclast and Les Misérables director Lady Ly’s Lyly Films.

Hood Witch is the debut feature of emerging French director Belktibia who is a protégé of the Kourtrajmé Collective, the filmmaking collective supported by Mathieu Kassovitz and Vincent Cassel and counting Ly and Romain Gavras among its ranks.

MPI Media Group & Dark Sky Films acquired the film via Paris-based sales and production company WTFilms.

“Hood Witch is a very passionate project for everyone involved, from Saïd Belktibia’s personal story and themes that were very close to him, to Golshifteh Farahani’s moving portrayal of a modern mother,” said WTFilms co-founding partner Gregory Chambet.

“We are very pleased that this echoed strongly with MPI Media Group’s team and can’t wait to have them release the film to American audiences. The reception at SXSW has been very encouraging and validating.”

MPI’s wholly owned subsidiary Dark Sky Films is an independent genre film production and distribution label founded in 2008.

Its original productions and releases include Girl on the Third Floor, We Are Still Here, Deathgasm, Emelie, Catfight, Darlin’, Bliss and most recently 1BR, Coming Home In The Dark, Broadcast Signal Intrusion, Mother May I? and Herd.

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.