GUNPOWDER & SKY ACQUIRES U.S. RIGHTS TO
TIFF SCI-FI/HORROR STANDOUT ‘SEA FEVER’
Critically-Acclaimed Creature Feature to be released through DUST,
Gunpowder & Sky’s Sci-Fi Label, in early 2020
Gunpowder & Sky, a fast growing independent global entertainment company, announced today that it has acquired U.S. rights to filmmaker Neasa Hardiman’s critically-acclaimed Irish sci-fi/thriller SEA FEVER following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Gunpowder & Sky will release the film theatrically in the U.S. in early 2020 through its sci-fi label, DUST.
SEA FEVER stars Hermione Corfield (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation) as Siobhan, a young marine biology student who boards a trawler run by a couple played by Connie Nielsen (Wonder Woman 1984, Gladiator) and Dougray Scott (Batwoman, Mission: Impossible 2). When the ship hits an unseen object, a mysterious bioluminescent force infiltrates the vessel, and the crew begins a fight for survival while marooned at sea.
The feature debut from BAFTA-winning director Neasa Hardiman (Happy Valley, Jessica Jones), SEA FEVER has drawn comparisons to claustrophobic classics such as Alien and The Thing, and received rave reviews out of TIFF, with RogerEbert.com declaring it, “One of those out-of-nowhere stunners” and “a masterful genre film.” Collider hails the films as, “A nightmare you can’t take your eyes off of, and can’t stop thinking about after it wraps up.”
“I’m thrilled Gunpowder & Sky’s DUST will bring SEA FEVER to a U.S. audience,” said Hardiman. The film is a dreamlike and devastating parable, where a neurodivergent heroine struggles with individual responsibility and threat in our increasingly fragile world.”
SEA FEVER is produced by Brendan McCarthy and John McDonnell of Fantastic Films in co-production with Borje Hansson of Bright Pictures (Sweden), Jean-Yves Roubin and Cassandre Warnauts of Frakas Productions (Belgium), and Eddie Dick of Makar Productions (Scotland), and executive produced by Patrick Ewald, Shaked Berenson, Patrick Fischer, Jonathan Feuer, Lesley Mckimm, Peter Possne.
SEA FEVER will be the second theatrical release from DUST, following 2018’s sci-fi western PROSPECT, starring Sophie Thatcher (The Exorcist), Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, Kingsman: The Golden Circle) and Jay Duplass (Transparent, Room 104). Gunpowder & Sky currently has horror-comedy VILLAINS, starring Bill Starsgard, Maika Monroe, Jeffrey Donovan and Kyra Sedgwick in theaters via its horror brand ALTER, with Lil Peep documentary EVERYBODY’S EVERYTHING set to open mid-November. Previously released films this year include the Gotham Awards-nominated HER SMELL and music biopic/true crime story hybrid LORDS OF CHAOS.
Gunpowder & Sky’s ALTER has also recently announced 50 STATES OF FRIGHT, a horror anthology series from DIGA Studios and Executive Producer Sam Raimi, starring Rachel Brosnahan, Travis Fimmel and Christina Ricci; and SURVIVE, a thriller starring Sophie Turner and Corey Hawkins, based on the novel by Richard Abate. Both are set to premiere on Quibi.
ABOUT DUST
DUST, a division of global content studio Gunpowder & Sky, is the first premium sci-fi entertainment brand that reaches fans across all platforms, giving voice to both emerging and established filmmakers.
DUST presents thought-provoking science fiction content, exploring the future of humanity through the lens of science and technology. From timeless classics to cutting-edge movies, series, short films, and podcasts, DUST acquires, produces and distributes all content types.
In 2018, DUST released the Zach Strauss directed short film Bad Peter at Tribeca – a cautionary tale about an overbearing AI assistant – starring Golden-Globe nominee Frankie Shaw (“SMILF”). DUST also premiered the feature film PROSPECT starring Pedro Pascal (“Narcos”, “Game of Thrones”, Equalizer 2), which recently debuted in the U.S. on Hulu, and internationally on Netflix.
In 2019, DUST released ZERO, a post-apocalyptic story of survival and hope, directed by the Brothers Lynch and starring Bella Ramsey (“Game of Thrones”).
With more than 15M monthly uniques, DUST operates its own channels that are available on multiple platforms including YouTube, Facebook, VRV, Pluto, Xumo, Samsung Plus, Sincalir’s STIRR, Sinclair’s TBD, NBC Watchback, and Vizio. Through its partnership with USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, DUST premiered the George Lucas 1967 short film, “Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB”, followed by premieres of legendary filmmaker Robert Zemeckis’ 1972 student short film “The Lift” and ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi” filmmaker Rian Johnson’s student short film “Evil Demon Golf Ball From Hell”.
DUST also hosts podcasts and special events such as “The Future Is Female” screening that celebrates female sci-fi directors in film, as well as ‘Represent: Diversity in Sci-Fi’, an art show and panel celebrating and examining multicultural voices in the sci-fi genre.
On August 18th, 2018, DUST launched DUST on Roku, a new sci-fi channel featuring timeless movies such as A Scanner Darkly, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Star Trek: First Generation, Paycheck, and The Running Man, as well as series such as “Mystery Science Theater 3000”, “Ray Bradbury’s Science Theater”, “Beyond Westworld”, and the original “Roswell”; in addition, DUST 500+ short films by the talent of tomorrow, including Rise, Jonah, and Automata.
On August 19th, 2019, DUST launched the DUST mobile app on both iOS and Android, with a launch on Apple TV soon to follow.
ABOUT GUNPOWDER & SKY
Gunpowder & Sky is a fast growing independent global entertainment company, creating premium content unrestricted by format, as well as genre-specific destinations for the streaming generation.
Since its inception in 2016, Gunpowder & Sky has released more than 30 feature films and series, as well as hundreds of short films theatrically, on TVOD as well as in partnership with leading platforms such as HBO, Netflix, MTV, Hulu, Sky, Showtime, DirecTV, Amazon, Facebook, YouTube, and soon Quibi and HBO Max.
With in-house development, production, marketing and distribution capabilities, the company operates as a full 360-studio and oversees a library of more than 1500 titles. Notable films and series include The Little Hours, Cam, Hearts Beat Loud, Lords of Chaos, Her Smell, Tragedy Girls, Summer of 84, Villains, Hounds of Love, “50 States of Fright” and “Drawn and Recorded”.
With an audience of more than 50M monthly unique visitors, Gunpowder & Sky’s current streaming networks include DUST, a sci-fi brand that presents thought-provoking visions of the future; ALTER, a new horror brand that explores the human condition through warped perspectives; and CUT, an unscripted comedy brand that is home to “Truth or Drink” and “Grandmas Smoking Weed”. DUST, ALTER and CUT are presently distributed on HBO, Vizio TV, Comcast FLEX, Roku, YouTube, Facebook, AT&T, DirecTV, Sinclair, Samsung TV Plus and Instagram.
Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in New York and London, Gunpowder & Sky was founded by Van Toffler and Floris Bauer, in partnership with The Chernin Group and AT&T.
ABOUT FANTASTIC FILMS
OSCAR™ winning Fantastic Films is one of Europe’s leading Production Company dedicated to high quality genre and niche films. Taking its name from the great tradition of European Cinema Fantastique, Fantastic Films is at the forefront of producing varied and groundbreaking films of the highest quality. Credits include Neasa Hardiman’s SEA FEVER – TIFF 2019; Lorcan Finnegan’s sci-fi horror VIVARIUM Critics Week, Cannes 2019; Martin McDonagh’s Oscar-winning SIX SHOOTER; Ruairí Robinson’s THE LAST DAYS ON MARS Directors’ Fortnight Cannes starring Liev Schreiber; Corin Hardy’s Sundance hit THE HALLOW; Jaume Balagueró’s MUSE starring Franka Potente and Christopher Lloyd; Billy O’Brien’s SXSW hit I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER; Brian O’Malley’s Silver Méliès winner LET US PREY and the critically acclaimed Hammer Horror WAKE WOOD.