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Shudder, the leading subscription video-on-demand service for thriller, suspense, and horror, announced today that they have acquired the North American, UK, ANZ, and GA rights to acclaimed punk rock slasher, The Ranger. The deal, which was negotiated following the film’s SXSW premiere, was done by Shudder’s Emily Gotto and 79th & Broadway Entertainment’s Andrew van den Houten, on behalf of the production companies Hood River Entertainment and Glass Eye Pix.
A wild, neon-colored romp in the spirit of Return of the Living Dead and Class of 1984, The Ranger follows a group of young punks who are forced to flee the city to lay low, only to run into a park ranger who shares a mysterious past with one of their own. The film has been lauded for its standout performances from Chloë Levine (The Transfiguration, The OA) as the pink-haired punk with a secret, and Jeremy Holm (House of Cards, Mr. Robot) as the maniacal ranger, ready to get his hands bloody in defense of the woods. Granit Lahu (The Sinner), Jeremy Pope, Bubba Weiler (Puzzle), Amanda Grace Benitez (School of Rock), Jeté Laurence (Pet Sematary), and horror icon Larry Fessenden (Habit, We Are Still Here) round out the cast.
The Ranger marks the directorial debut of Jenn Wexler, a past Shudder Labs master and producer of the SXSW Grand Jury Prize-winner, Most Beautiful Island. A co-production of Glass Eye Pix and Hood River Entertainment, The Ranger was written by Wexler and Giaco Furino, and produced by Andrew van den Houten (Breaking & Exiting, The Woman), Larry Fessenden (Most Beautiful Island, The House of the Devil), Ashleigh Snead (The Block Island Sound), Heather Buckley, and Wexler (Like Me, Darling).
Remarked Craig Engler, General Manager of Shudder “Jenn Wexler’s feature debut is a smart, stylish, and subversive take on the ‘80s slasher, and we’re delighted to bring it to Shudder members.”
The film, which concluded a limited theatrical run in New York and Los Angeles earlier this month, was a standout hit at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival, where it world-premiered in the Midnighters section. The Ranger was selected as opening night film of this year’s FrightFest UK and has been an official selection at festivals around the world, including Fantasia International Film Festival, the Sydney Film Festival and the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, among many others. This month, The Ranger screened at the Sitges Film Festival and will play Toronto After Dark, before concluding its festival circuit ahead of its eventual Shudder premiere in 2019.
“Shudder is the streaming service of horror fans’ dreams, made by and for people who love the genre,” says Wexler. “The Ranger is my tribute to punks in horror, and I can’t wait to share it with all of Shudder’s members.”
Fessenden says: “It has been great to see Jenn’s debut flick get so much love during its festival run these last eight months. We’re excited for new fans to experience it on Shudder—in the safety of their own homes!”
“Shudder’s curation is brilliant and their team is passionate about the type of films both Hood River Entertainment and Glass Eye Pix love to make,” says van den Houten. “They are truly the perfect home for Jenn Wexler’s debut film, and we couldn’t be happier to be in partnership on this very special Shudder Exclusive.”
Rock Hard \m/
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