BRITTANY O’GRADY JOINS TEMPLE HILL’S HIGH-CONCEPT HORROR ‘MONITOR’ AS CAMERAS GET READY TO ROLL IN MARCH
Protagonist Pictures Announces a Slew of International Deals ahead of the European Film Market
Brittany O’Grady (“The White Lotus,” It’s What’s Inside) is set to join Temple Hill Entertainment’s high-concept horror film Monitor, it was announced today. Written and directed by Matt Black and Ryan Polly, cameras will roll on the chiller beginning March 10 on location in Barcelona and the Canary Islands. Cinematographer Philip Lozano (The Nun II, The Transporter), Production Designer Núria Guardia (Bird Box: Barcelona; Nextflix’s “The Crown”) and Editor Guillermo de la Cal (The Orphanage, Sleep Tight) round out the crew ahead of shooting.
Launched at AFM 2024, the project immediately secured top distributors out of the market and moved swiftly into production. Monitor marks the third collaboration between Protagonist Pictures and Temple Hill, which began with Clown in a Cornfield, the award-winning book to film adaptation scheduled for a wide U.S. theatrical release on May 9th 2025.
Elevation took rights for Canada, Capelight for Germany and Austria, Le Pacte for France, Sun for both Spain and LatAm, and Spentzos for Greece. Plaion came on board for Italy, NOS Audiovisuais for Portugal, MisLabel for Scandinavia, Monolith for Eastern Europe, Red Cape for Israel, Front Row for the Middle East and Fabula for Turkey.
Monitor is produced by Temple Hill’s Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey and John Fischer, the team behind the critically acclaimed box office megahits Smile and Smile 2, The Twilight Saga and The Maze Runner Trilogy, and Adrián Guerra (Buried) for Nostromo Pictures. Protagonist’s Dave Bishop and George Hamilton serve as executive producers. Protagonist Pictures is continuing international sales on the film at the upcoming EFM.
When a group of social media moderators refuse to publish a horrifying video, a demonic creature starts following them across every screen in their lives. Feeding off fear, the creature hunts them down one by one and attacks until it gets what it wants… to be let out beyond the screen.
“We’re delighted to see cameras roll on this smart and twisted horror film that is sure to scare the hell out of cinemagoers worldwide,” said Protagonist Pictures’ Chief Commercial Officer George Hamilton. “Temple Hill delivers once again with a wickedly clever film that offers a timely commentary of what we experience online.”
Temple Hill team added, “We’re thrilled to be diving into production on Monitor. Matt and Ryan have crafted a story that is haunting and deeply relevant. With Brittany leading our cast, we’re confident that Monitor will be as gripping as it is terrifying.”
Founded by Godfrey and Bowen in 2006, Temple Hill Entertainment is the prolific banner behind a number of blockbuster film franchises, including the 2022 successful sleeper hit, Smile, followed by the box office chart-topper, Smile 2, both released by Paramount Pictures. Their book-to-film adaptations, The Twilight Saga and The Maze Runner trilogy, have grossed over $5.3B and $949M worldwide respectively. Additional films include John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort; Greg Berlanti’s Love, Simon, starring Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel; the critically acclaimed and NAACP Image Award-winner, The Hate U Give; and Fatherhood, starring Kevin Hart and Alfre Woodward.
Protagonist Pictures EFM slate includes Sophie Hyde’s multi-generational drama Jimpa, starring Oscar winner Olivia Colman and Golden Globe winner John Lithgow, which comes to Berlin straight from its Sundance world premiere. As part of the Berlinale Special Presentations programme, Protagonist will host the world premiere of Jan-Ole Gerster’s English language debut Islands, starring Sam Riley and Stacy Martin. Protagonist’s line-up also features the survival thriller Die By Night, directed by Rod Blackhurst and starring Isabelle Fuhrman, Ben Hardy and Scoot McNairy; Philippa Lowthorpe’s H Is For Hawk, starring Emmy winners Claire Foy and Brendan Gleeson; the Scottish family drama Glenrothan, starring Alan Cumming, and Emmy winner Brian Cox in his feature directorial debut; Bharat Nalluri’s family adventure Flavia, starring Martin Freeman, Jonathan Pryce, and Molly Belle Wright; the Venice, TIFF and San Sebastian selection Kill the Jockey, directed by Luis Ortega and selected as Argentina’s pick for the 2025 Oscars; and the BAFTA-nominated genre-bending comedy Sister Midnight, which screened at the London Film Festival and was nominated for Cannes’ Camera D’Or.
Brittany O’Grady is best known for the HBO’s hit dark comedy series, “The White Lotus.” Most recently she starred in Netflix’s comedy-thriller It’s What’s Inside. Other notable credits include “The Consultant” on Amazon Prime alongside Christoph Waltz, and Apple TV+’s “Little Voice.”
O’Grady is repped by CAA, Suskin/Karshan Management and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner Auerbach Hynick Jaime LeVine Sample & Klein.
Matt Black and Ryan Polly are represented by Circle of Confusion and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
ABOUT TEMPLE HILL ENTERTAINMENT
Founded in 2006 by Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey, Temple Hill Entertainment is a production company based in Los Angeles, telling stories across film, television, publishing, podcasts, and documentaries. Since its inception, Temple Hill has had its finger on the pulse of popular culture, producing acclaimed films and television series that excite and inspire big, global audiences. Grossing over $5 billion at the box office, Temple Hill has produced numerous franchises and breakout hits, including. The Twilight Saga and The Maze Runner as well as adaptations of beloved, bestselling novels, including The Fault in Our Stars, The Hate U Give, and Love, Simon. Maintaining a high standard of ingenuity, commerciality, and critical acclaim, recent hits include last year’s horror film, Smile, for Paramount Pictures; Hulu’s most-watched original film, Happiest Season, starring Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis; and the Oscar-nominated First Man, starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Damien Chazelle (La La Land, Whiplash).
ABOUT NOSTROMO PICTURES
Nostromo Pictures is a premier Spanish film and television production company committed to crafting original, high-quality storytelling and visionary content, where every detail of production and narrative is handled with care and precision. Founded by Adrián Guerra and Núria Valls following the breakthrough success of Buried, directed by Rodrigo Cortés and starring Ryan Reynolds, Nostromo has built a reputation for delivering high-quality, culturally impactful films produced from Spain, blending local and international talent to create cinematic experiences that resonate globally.
From films like Rodrigo Cortés’s Red Lights, featuring Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver, Elizabeth Olsen, and Robert De Niro, to Grand Piano, written by Damien Chazelle and directed by Eugenio Mira, and Spanish box office successes like Palm Trees in the Snow by Fernando González Molina, and The Invisible Guest by Oriol Paulo, Nostromo has crafted a portfolio that emphasizes cinematic excellence and distinctive storytelling.
ABOUT PROTAGONIST PICTURES
Led by Dave Bishop alongside George Hamilton and James Pugh, Protagonist Pictures is a sales, finance, and production company with a proven track record in outstanding films and commercial successes. Based in the UK, the company handles films from around the world, always maintaining a strong focus on filmmakers with exceptional vision and storytelling skills. Protagonist Pictures has championed groundbreaking filmmakers since its inception, including Chloe Zhao, Yorgos Lanthimos, Sean Baker, Rose Glass, Taiki Waititi and Pawel Pawlikowski.
Most recently Protagonist Pictures hosted the Sundance world premiere of Sophie Hyde’s new multi-generational family feature, Jimpa starring Olivia Colman, John Lithgow and introducing newcomer Aud Mason Hyde. The film screened in the Premieres section. And premiering in the upcoming 2025 Berlinale they have the neo-noir thriller Islands, directed by Jan-Ole Gerster and starring Sam Riley and Stacy Martin.
Protagonist handled international sales on Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, starring Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce, which premiered in Venice to stellar reviews, and garnered 3 Golden Globes Awards including Best Motion Picture Drama, Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama, and Best Director. The film is currently nominated for 9 BAFTA awards, including Best film, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Director, and nominated for 10 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography and Best Original Screenplay.
The company handled sales and executive produced Nora Fingscheidt’s The Outrun, starring 4x Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan, which premiered in Sundance and Berlin to critical acclaim, and was recently nominated for 2 BAFTA award including Outstanding British Film and Leading Actress.
Protagonist Pictures’ current slate also features Monitor, the high-concept horror directed by Ryan Polly and Matt Black and produced by Temple Hill, the team behind the megahit Smile Franchise. Cameras start rolling on the project in March 2025; Brian Cox’s heartwarming Scottish comedy Glenrothan, starring Cox in his directorial debut, alongside Alan Cumming; Adam Scott’s edge of your seat thriller Double Booked, featuring Scott, Zazie Beetz, Sterling K. Brown and Alexandra Daddario; the charming NY-set comedy Encore, produced by Temple Hill and directed by Simon Curtis, starring Glenn Close, Jeremy Irons, Henry Winkler and Don Johnson, scheduled to go into production in spring 2025. Protagonist also handled international sales on Eli Craig’s highly anticipated horror adaptation Clown in a Cornfield, also from the producers of Smile and set for a wide theatrical release by RLJE Films and Shudder in May 2025. Additional titles include Thordur Palsson’s elevated horror The Damned, starring Odessa Young and Joe Cole, and premiering at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, both of which Protagonist also executive produced. The ensemble comedy Rumours, directed by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson, led by Cate Blanchett and Alicia Vikander, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and Sister Midnight, starring Radhika Apte, Ashok Pathak and Chhaya Kadam, and directed by Karan Kandhari, which also premiered in Cannes at the Director’s Fortnight.
