Film to shoot next spring, with Dark Horse Entertainment producing
Writer, director, actor Charlie Day has been set to star in the dark comedy KILL ME, directed and written by Peter Warren (“The Auteur”). The film is produced by XYZ Films, Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg for Dark Horse Entertainment, Charlie Day and Peter Warren, and is executive produced by Paul Schwake and Kasey Adler for Dark Horse. The film is financed by XYZ Films, who will also be handling worldwide sales.
In the film Jimmy (Charlie Day) wakes up in a bathtub after having tried to kill himself. Or, at least, that’s what it looks like to his friends and family. Jimmy is pretty sure he didn’t do it…Maybe. Together with Margot, the 911 operator who took his call, Jimmy sets out on a mission to solve a vitally important whodunit: did someone try to kill him, or are they chasing the specter of depression? KILL ME is a gripping, hilarious, and deeply moving murder mystery.
Day is best known for the iconic role of Charlie in “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia,” which is the longest running live-action comedy series on TV as well as for roles in the features THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE, HORRIBLE BOSSES, THE LEGO MOVIE, AND the recent FOOL’S PARADISE, which he wrote, directed and starred in.
Peter Warren is a screenwriter and showrunner. In features, Peter is adapting the seminal INCAL comic book series into a new sci-fri franchise, with Taika Waititi directing and Jermaine Clement co-scripting. He has written features for Fox, Universal, Warner Bros., and STX, amongst many others. In television, he co-created THE AUTEUR with Taika Waititi for Showtime, starring Jude Law and is also creating and showrunning BOBBY ROYAL for Amazon and Lionsgate. As a staffer, he most recently worked on Paramount+’s HALO and Amazon’s upcoming NIGHTBEAST.
“When we first read Peter Warren’s script, we were impressed with his honest portrayal of depression and mental health, while still delivering a great mystery with plenty of humor. Charlie Day, with his skill at balancing the fragility of the human experience with incredible comedic energy, is the perfect person to anchor this ‘two-hander.’ We couldn’t be more excited about working on this film with our friends at XYZ,” said Mike Richardson.
“We knew the moment we read this wonderful and hilarious script from Peter Warren that it has the potential to find a wide reaching audience. Charlie Day was born to play the role of Jimmy, and we can’t wait to bring this film to life next year with our friends over at Dark Horse Entertainment,” said XYZ Films.
Current titles from the XYZ Films studio include BLACKBERRY starring Gotham-award nominee Glenn Howerton, which was released by IFC Films, Atom Egoyan’s TIFF selection SEVEN VEILS starring Amanda Seyfried, ASH starring Eiza González and Aaron Paul and directed by Flying Lotus, the Netflix Original HAVOC, directed by Gareth Evans and starring Tom Hardy and Forrest Whitaker and DANIELA FOREVER directed by Nacho Vigalondo and starring Henry Golding and Beatrice Grannó. Other recent releases include the Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead film SOMETHING IN THE DIRT which premiered at Sundance 2022, and the Nick Cassavetes film GOD IS A BULLET, staring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Maika Monroe. The company’s classic titles include THE RAID franchise, 2017 Sundance winner I DON’T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE, Panos Cosmatos’ psychedelic revenge thriller MANDY, and Karyn Kusama’s THE INVITATION.
Day is represented by CAA, 3 Arts Entertainment and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Warren is repped WME Entertainment and Management.
About XYZ Films:
XYZ Films is an independent studio whose mission is to empower visionary storytellers from every corner of the planet. As a producer, financier, and distributor, the company is uniquely suited to identify talented filmmakers and bring their stories to life. XYZ recently expanded into talent management, working with a global roster of filmmakers. XYZ was founded in 2008 by Nate Bolotin, Nick Spicer, and Aram Tertzakian. The company’s classic titles include THE RAID franchise, 2017 Sundance winner I DON’T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE, Panos Cosmatos’ psychedelic revenge thriller MANDY, and Karyn Kusama’s THE INVITATION.
About Dark Horse:
Dark Horse Entertainment was founded by Mike Richardson as a branch of Dark Horse Comics, the publishing house he established in 1986. In 1994, Dark Horse Entertainment produced its first major film successes, THE MASK and TIMECOP, both based on Richardson’s creations. The company has since produced over three dozen films and series, including MR. WARMTH: THE DON RICKLES PROJECT for HBO, which won two Emmys. Recent projects include DARK MATTER and RESIDENT ALIEN for SyFy, THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY, POLAR, and SAMURAI RABBIT: THE USAGI CHRONICLES for Netflix, and HELLBOY with Larry Gordon Productions. In 2022, Dark Horse Media, LLC, parent company of Dark Horse Comics, Dark Horse Entertainment, and Things From Another World retail chain, became part of Embracer Group AB, strengthening the company’s capabilities in the entertainment industry.
