VERTICAL ACQUIRES NORTH AMERICAN RIGHTS TO MIRAMAX HORROR FILM THE EXORCISM STARRING RUSSELL CROWE; SETS THEATRICAL RELEASE FOR JUNE 7, 2024
The Joshua John Miller directed film also stars Ryan Simpkins, Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce
Vertical has acquired North American rights to the horror film The Exorcism (fka The Georgetown Project) starring Academy Award®-Winner Russell Crowe (Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind).
From Miramax, producer Kevin Williamson and Outerbanks Entertainment, the film is directed by Joshua John Miller and written by Miller and M.A. Fortin, the creators of the hit series Queen of The South and the writers and producers of The Final Girls. In addition to Crowe, the film stars Ryan Simpkins (Fear Street Trilogy), Sam Worthington (Avatar: The Way of Water), Chloe Bailey (Praise This), Adam Goldberg (The Equalizer) and David Hyde Pierce (Frasier).
The film will have an exclusive theatrical release beginning on June 7, 2024. Shudder, AMC Networks’ premiere streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, has acquired pay 1 rights to the film.
The Exorcism follows Anthony Miller (Crowe), a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter (Simpkins) wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play.
The Exorcism marks the sophomore outing as director for Joshua John Miller after an extensive career acting, producing, and writing. He began his career as one of the leads in Kathryn Bigelow’s vampire classic Near Dark. Miller brings decades of knowledge of horror films to the table, as well as familial connections in his father, Jason Miller, who portrayed Father Damien Karras in The Exorcist (1973), and his mother, Susan Bernard, who was a Scream Queen.
Filmmakers Miller and Fortin said, “Vertical has been a great partner in helping us complete and realize our vision for this story. Their level of enthusiasm and support are rare to find.”
Vertical Partner Peter Jarowey said, “Joshua has a profound expertise in this genre, and we applaud his creation of a film that reverently nods to classic horror while adding a fresh twist. We want to thank everyone at Miramax for their partnership and are looking forward to bringing the film to theatres nationwide this summer.”
The Exorcism is produced by Miramax, Kevin Williamson, Ben Fast, and Bill Block. Padraic McKinley, Scott Putman, Andrew Golov, and Thom Zadra serve as executive producers. Below-the-line talent includes director of photography Simon Duggan; production designer Michael T. Perry; editor Matthew Woolley; music by Daniel Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans; costume designer Jodi Leesley; and casting directors Mary Vernieu, C.S.A and Lindsay Graham Ahanonu, C.S.A
Jarowey and Senior Vice President of Acquisitions Tony Piantedosi negotiated the deal on behalf of Vertical, with CAA Media Finance negotiating the deal on behalf of the filmmakers.
About Vertical (www.Vert-Ent.com)
Founded in 2012, Vertical has become a leading global independent distributor releasing films across all mediums. Vertical’s unique combination of full-service marketing and highly effective sales services provides collaborative solutions for filmmakers, as the company leverages creative and platform relationships to maximize revenue streams from all content providers.
Vertical’s upcoming slate includes the 2023 Cannes Film Festival opener Jeanne Du Barry, directed by Maïwenn who stars alongside Johnny Depp; TIFF 2023 selection Lee, directed by Ellen Kuras and starring Kate Winslet, Andrea Riseborough, Andy Samberg, Alexander Skarsgård and Marion Cotillard; TIFF 2023 selection Widow Clicquot directed by Thomas Napper and starring Haley Bennett; Tribeca 2023 selection Bucky F*cking Dent directed and starring David Duchovny based on his best-selling book; TIFF 2023 selection Poolman, written, directed by and starring Chris Pine alongside Danny DeVito and Annette Bening from producers Patty Jenkins and Stacey Sher; and 2023 Cannes Selection Firebrand from director Karim Aïnouz and starring Alicia Vikander and Jude Law.
Past Vertical releases include the 2023 Berlin Film Festival Opener She Came to Me directed by Rebecca Miller and starring Peter Dinklage, Marisa Tomei and Anne Hathaway; Phillip Noyce’s Fast Charlie starring Pierce Brosnan and Morena Baccarin; 2023 Independent Spirit Award winner Emily the Criminal written & directed by John Patton Ford starring Aubrey Plaza and Theo Rossi; Cannes 2023 selection Asphalt City directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire and starring Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan; Damián Szifron’s To Catch a Killer starring Shailene Woodley and Ben Mendelsohn; Michael Jacobs’ Maybe I Do starring Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, Richard Gere, William H. Macy, Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey.
About MIRAMAX
A beIN Media Group and Paramount company headquartered in Los Angeles, MIRAMAX is a global film and television studio best known for its award-winning, original films.
Led by Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Glickman, MIRAMAX is one of the most active and robust independent film and television studios, with recent and upcoming projects including “Here,” directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, to be released by Sony on Nov. 15, 2024; Oscar®, BAFTA and Golden Globes® winner “The Holdovers,” directed by Alexander Payne and starring Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph in an Oscar-winning performance; and “The Beekeeper,” directed by David Ayer and starring Jason Statham, which has crossed $150 million at the worldwide box office.
The studio’s growing slate of global television content includes the series adaptation of Guy Ritchie’s feature film for MIRAMAX, “The Gentlemen,” which spent three weeks as Netflix’s top-performing English-language show globally; and a reinvention of the Emmy® Award-winning series “Project Greenlight” for HBO Max, hosted by Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani. Projects in development include “The Henna Artist” at Netflix, based on Alka Joshi’s bestselling debut novel, with Freida Pinto attached to star and executive produce; “The Key Man,” a limited series based on the acclaimed book about disgraced financier Arif Naqvi, with Dev Patel starring and executive producing; and “Prêt-à-Porter,” a series adaptation of the MIRAMAX movie in development with the BBC. The studio also recently secured television rights to the blockbuster “Halloween” franchise, with additional projects in development internationally.
Miramax films have received 278 Academy Award® nominations and 68 Oscars®, including four Best Picture awards.
About Shudder
AMC Networks’ Shudder is a premium streaming video service, super-serving members with the best selection in genre entertainment, covering horror, thrillers and the supernatural. Shudder’s expanding library of film, TV series, and Original Content is available on most streaming devices in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Over the last few years, Shudder has introduced audiences to groundbreaking and critically acclaimed films including Rob Savage’s Host, Jayro Bustamante’s LA Llorona, Phil Tippett’s Mad God, Coralie Fargeat’s Revenge, Joko Anwar’s Satan’s Slaves, Josh Ruben’s SCARE ME, Kyle Edward Ball’s Skinamarink, Christian Tafdrup’s Speak No Evil, Chloe Okuno’s Watcher, Demián Rugna‘s When Evil Lurks, and the latest in the V/H/S film anthology franchise, as well as the fan favorite TV series The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, Greg Nicotero’s Creepshow, and The Last Drive-In With Joe Bob Briggs.
