IFC Midnight and Shudder have acquired the distribution rights to Chloe Okuno’s horror film “Watcher,”The film premiered this year at the Sundance Film Festival. IFC will release the film in theaters this year and on-demand later in the year. Shudder will open the first streaming window.
In “Watcher,” “It Follows”Star Maika Monroe portrays Julia, an actress who quits her job to go with her husband in Romania. While he’s off at work, she often spends time alone. But as newscasts air reports of a serial killer on the loose, she begins to see a mysterious figure watching her from another building, and she’s convinced that the figure is following her.
“Chloe Okuno’s exceptional vision uses horror and thriller elements in a masterful way that will resonate with any person looking for a singular cinematic experience, even further emboldened by a star-turning performance from Maika Monroe,”Arianna Bocco, President of IFC, stated in a statement. “We’re honored to introduce Chloe’s stunning feature debut ‘Watcher’ to audiences across North America, announcing her as a director to watch.”
“It was a hard-fought battle to make ‘Watcher’ during the pandemic, and I’m so proud of everyone who worked to get us to this point,” Okuno said. “I am beyond delighted to partner with IFC Midnight and Shudder to continue this journey together and cannot wait to share the movie with a wider audience.”
Okuno wrote the film along with Zach Ford. The film is the first to be produced as part of a new horror film agreement between Image Nation and Spooky Pictures in association with Lost City. Roy Lee and Steven Schneider from Spooky Pictures are producers, along with Mason Novick, John Finemore (John Finemore), Aaron Kaplan, and Sean Perrone. James Hoppe, Elizabeth Grave and Ben Ross are the executive producers.
The deal for the film was negotiated by IFC Films’ Head of Acquisitions and Production Scott Shooman with UTA Independent Film Group and Cinetic on behalf of the filmmakers.