DREAD, L.A.-based distribution and financing company Epic Pictures’ specialty horror label, will be releasing their horror title, THE JESTER, later this month in North America. The film will have a limited theatrical run beginning September 29, 2023, followed by a VOD release on October 3, 2023. Colin Krawchuk wrote and directed The Jester from a story by him and Michael Sheffield. Eduardo Sánchez, co-creator of the original horror blockbuster, The Blair Witch Project, Patrick Ewald and Mary Beth McAndrews served as the film’s executive producers. The Jester is based on a short film trilogy by Krawchuk. The Jester stars Lelia Symington (Brut Force), Matt Servitto (The Sopranos), Ken Arnold (Swagger) and Sam Lukowski (Satanic Hispanics).
The official The Jester synopsis reads: After the recent death of their father, two estranged sisters find themselves being stalked by a malevolent being known as The Jester. Revealing himself to be more than just a man in a mask, the evil entity begins to further torment the inhabitants of this small town on Halloween night. The path to defeating this unholy monster lies with the two sisters who realize that the only way to survive is to figure out how to right the wrongs of their dark past.
DREAD is no stranger to killer clown tales, this summer they partnered with Iconic Events and brought the original Terrifier film to 700 theaters following the release of the widely successful Terrifier sequel.
When discussing The Jester, Epic Picture Group CEO Patrick Ewald says, “When Brian Clarke (developer of The Mortuary Assistant game) introduced me to Colin’s insanely popular YouTube shorts of The Jester (over 30 million views), I was immediately captivated and knew we had to make a feature film out of them. It is incredible to see how Colin has taken his original concept and evolved it into a truly terrifying feature film. I can’t wait for audiences to experience this new face of evil in the supernatural entity known as The Jester.”
“It’s been so exciting to see the little short film we made back in 2016 eventually get us to the big screen” says Director Colin Krawchuk. “Turning the essence of a short into a feature was an unexpected challenge, and one that could not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of a passionate crew. I’m excited for audiences to see our talented actors bring these new characters to life alongside a reimagined Jester.”
ABOUT EPIC PICTURES
Founded in 2007, Epic Pictures is an independent content studio with the mission of delivering the best-in-class genre entertainment “for fans, by fans.” Epic Pictures produces, finances, and distributes approximately twenty-thirty independent genre films a year. In 2013, the company established Epic Pictures Releasing which is its US focused distribution division. In 2017, Epic
Pictures acquired the world’s most popular horror website, Dread Central, and launched its unique horror label, Dread, followed by its AVOD channel, DreadTV. In 2019, Epic Pictures started the horror gaming site, DreadXP, with a focus on editorial, reviews, podcasts, and original streaming content. In 2020, DreadXP began a video game production and publishing division in collaboration with some of the most innovative developers in the independent gaming space.
