‘Party & Prey’ Graphic Novel Adaptation In Works From Legendary Entertainment, AfterShock Media; Patrick Brice Directing Queer Horror-Thriller From Rob Forman’s Script

Matt Grobar
·4 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: Legendary Entertainment and AfterShock Media have closed a deal for a feature adaptation of the latter’s graphic novel Party & Prey from creators Steve Orlando & Steve Foxe, in a competitive situation. Patrick Brice (Creep) has been tapped to direct from a script by Rob Forman (iZombie).

Published in 2021, the graphic novel penned by Orlando and Foxe is billed as a social horror-thriller with a bold genre twist. It tells the story of Alan, a wealthy, older gay man, who meets a confident and attractive young man named Scott at a nightclub. Their chemistry leads them to end up at Alan’s house, where the men’s dark secrets are laid bare and they have a night together neither of them expected.

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AfterShock Media and Legendary will produce the film adaptation alongside Lee Kramer, David Sigurani and Jon Kramer, with Orlando and Foxe exec producing, and Max Zupanovic serving as co-producer.

“From our nightmares to reality, in the best way possible!” said Orlando of the deal. “Here we are at a moment with PARTY & PREY that we never expected, but couldn’t be more excited for! This has been a story that’s clawed its way to life from the start, first from out of both my mind and Foxes, but as well from those of Alex Sanchez, Juancho! and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. And, of course – AfterShock! I couldn’t be prouder of this book – its lens, its action, its horror, and its representation across the board. We created the comic we wished would be on the stands, and now I couldn’t be more honored and energized for the world to see it on the screen!”

“Creating PARTY & PREY alongside Alex, Juancho, Hass my fellow Steve, and the crew at AfterShock was a taboo thrill all its own,” said Foxe, “an opportunity to tell a violent horror story entrenched in the gay community, without its rough edges sanded off for easier consumption. I can’t wait to see P&P interpreted into a new medium for an entirely different audience to discover.”

“Party & Prey is a tense thriller examining the youth standards that exist within and outside of the queer community,” added AfterShock Media’s EVP of Film & TV, Sigurani, “and we’re delighted to bring this excellent comic to the screen for all audiences with Patrick, Rob & Legendary.”

Orlando is a GLAAD Media and Eisner Award-nominated comic book writer also known for titles including Midnighter, Batman, AfterShock Comics’ Search for Hu, and Kill a Man. The Eisner and Ringo Award-nominated author of 75+ comics and children’s books, Foxe’s credits include Razorblades: The Horror Magazine, X-Men ’92: House of XCII, AfterShock Comics’ Rainbow Bridge, and Skybound’s Creepshow anthology.

Brice is perhaps best known for his work as the writer, director and star of the acclaimed found-footage horrors Creep and Creep 2, on which he collaborated closely with Mark Duplass. He also wrote and directed on Duplass’s HBO anthology series, Room 104. Additional feature directing credits include the Netflix horror-thriller There’s Someone Inside Your House; the sex comedy The Overnight starring Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman and Judith Godrèche; and the horror-comedy Corporate Animals with Demi Moore, Jessica Williams, Ed Helms and more.

Forman’s credits include the in-development horror Something is Killing the Children and The CW’s iZombie.

AfterShock Media combines AfterShock Comics’ expansive library with Rive Gauche’s global distribution power, propelling the publisher’s IP into new formats — from TV and film to gaming and podcasts. Other notable comic book series from AfterShock Comics since its 2015 founding include Animosity, Dark Red, Babyteeth, A Walk Through Hell, Jimmy’s Bastards and The Kaiju Score.

Legendary inked a multi-year worldwide film distribution partnership with Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group in November, after severing ties with Warner Bros. Among the titles on its upcoming slate are Max Barbakow’s comedy Brothers with Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage; the Peter Atencio-directed action-comedy The Machine starring comedian Bert Kreischer; and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two.

Brice is repped by CAA, Grandview and Jackoway Austen Tyerman; Forman by Buchwald, Pebble Entertainment and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.

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