Samuel Goldwyn Nabs ‘Dreamcatcher’ Thriller From Director Jacob Johnston
EXCLUSIVE: Samuel Goldwyn Films has secured the North American rights to Jacob Johnston’s directorial debut feature, Dreamcatcher, set for a digital and on-demand release in March.
The cast includes Niki Koss (Famous in Love), Zachary Gordon (Diary Of A Wimpy Kid), Travis Burns (Neighbours), Blaine Kern III (The Perfect Date), Olivia Sui (Smosh), Elizabeth Posey (Starz series Heels), Emrhys Cooper, Ben. J Pierce, Al Calderon, Eva Shaw, Nazanin Mandi, Adrienne Wilkinson, and Lou Ferrigno Jr.
Written by Johnston, the horror-thriller centers on Dylan, known to his fans as DJ Dreamcatcher, who is on the brink of global stardom. Everything changes the night of Cataclysm, an underground music festival, where two estranged sisters and their friends meet Dylan. After a drug fueled gruesome event, things begin to spiral into a 48-hour whirlwind of violence and mayhem.
Krystal Vayda and Brandon Vayda produced the pic via their Quarzo Studios label.
Producers commented, “The idea behind Dreamcatcher was to design a film that brings back the whodunnit, the empty house scare, and the backyard fright all wrapped up in an original screenplay. We approached the film, from the beginning with Jacob, wanting to tastefully – and artfully – capture varying facets of society, with the sexy backdrop of a colorful pulsating Music Festival, all while set in the glamorous city of Los Angeles, California. This was to say, build a world that feels surreal – but obtainable, seductive, -but never explicit, and fun however equally frightening. The story is ripe with everything you come to expect from a genre film: twists, turns, and a dose of scares. While thematically, we explore the effects of trauma, the insatiable thirst for materialism and fame, and of course, the loss of innocence and corruption of power. The character development, and ensemble cast, gave us the opportunity to connect in a meaningful personal way, with varying audience demographics across the world. We are very much excited and grateful to be partnering with such a prestigious company and storied name in the motion picture business at Samuel Goldwyn Films. We are excited for what’s to come and see it all unfold into reality!”
Executive producers are Jacques Kurdian, and Archstone Entertainment’s Jack Sheehan, Scott Martin, and Michael Slifkin. Miles Fineburg from Samuel Goldwyn brokered the deal with Sheehan on behalf of the filmmakers.
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