Irish Horror Pic ‘The Cellar’ Gets U.S. Deal, Release Date Ahead Of SXSW Debut
EXCLUSIVE: RLJE Films and Shudder have teamed to acquire rights to The Cellar, the Irish horror film written and directed by Brendan Muldowney and starring Elisha Cuthbert and Eoin Macken. The deal comes as the pic is prepping for its world premiere next month at SXSW. It will now get an April 15 day-and-date release in the U.S., with Shudder to stream it exclusively in North America, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and its AMC Networks sibling RLJE Films handling theatrical.
The Cellar, which bows March 12 at SXSW in the festival’s Midnighters section (it also screens that night as the closing film at (FrightFest Glasgow), centers on Keira Woods (Cuthbert), whose daughter mysteriously vanishes in the cellar of their new house in the country. Keira soon discovers there is an ancient and powerful entity controlling their home that she will have to face or risk losing her family’s souls forever.
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The pic, an Ireland-Belgium co-production, was filmed on location in Roscommon, Ireland and was spawned by Muldowney from his short film The Ten Steps.
“The Cellar is a riveting story that we think will appeal to both horror lovers and broader audiences alike, and we’re delighted to work with RLJE Films to bring it to the widest possible audience,” Shudder GM Craig Engler said. “Brendan and this talented team have crafted a dark and haunting tale that we’re excited to share with audiences this April.”
Conor Barry of Savage Productions and Richard Bolger of Hail Mary Pictures are producers, co-produced with Benoit Roland from Wrong Men Films in Belgium. Executive producers are Patrick Ewald of Epic Pictures Group, Lesley McKimm of Screen Ireland, John Gleeson and Oisín O’Neill for BCP Asset Management, Sarah Dillon of the WRAP Fund and Patrick O’Neill of Wildcard Distribution.
Production investment was provided by Screen Ireland, Epic Pictures, BCP Asset Management, The Western Region Audiovisual Producers Fund / WRAP Fund and Wallimage, BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance, VOO and BETV.
SXSW returns this year to an in-person ceremony and runs March 11-20 in Austin.
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