SXSW Horror Pic ‘The Spine Of Night’ Lands U.S. Deal With RLJE Films And Shudder

Patrick Hipes
·1 min read

EXCLUSIVE: RLJE Films and corporate sibling Shudder have acquired North American rights to The Spine of Night, the animated fantasy horror film that just premiered at this year’s SXSW. The film, done in hand-rotoscoped animation, will now hit theaters in late 2021 and in 2022 on Shudder which also has UK, Australia and New Zealand rights.

Written and directed by Philip Gelatt and Morgan Galen King, the film features the voices of Richard E. Grant, Lucy Lawless, Patton Oswalt, Betty Gabriel and Joe Manganiello. A tip of the cap to the works of artists like Ralph Bakshi and Frank Franzetta, the ultra-violent fantasy centers on an ancient dark magic that falls into sinister hands and unleashes ages of suffering onto mankind. A group of heroes from different eras and cultures must band together in order to defeat it at all costs.

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Gelatt, Will Battersby and Jean Rattle are producers.

“The Spine of Night is like the insane love child of Heavy Metal and Mandy,” RLJE Films chief acquisition officer Mark Ward said. “The audience response out of SXSW proves this is an instant classic that will be playing on midnight movie screens for years to come.”

Added Shudder GM Craig Engler: “The Spine of Night absolutely shreds. It’s a fantasy horror epic that rides lightning directly into the hearts of genre and cult film fans.”

RLJE’s Ward and Jess De Leo and Shudder’s Emily Gotto negotiated the deal with Yellow Veil Pictures’ Hugues Barbier, Justin Timms and Joe Yanick on behalf of the filmmakers.

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