Movies
Horrorfest ’10: After Dark Heading Deep Into ‘The Reeds’
Some pretty exciting news to end the week as After Dark Films announced that The Reeds will be the seventh film in next month’s fourth annual After Dark Horrorfest. That leaves one and final movie to go. We caught a screening of Nick Cohen’s thriller at last month’s AFM (read our review here), and while we weren’t huge fans, it’s a solid, well-shot genre thriller that a think a lot of you may enjoy. Reeds follows a boating party that gets lost in the ancient waterways of the Norfolk Broads and finds itself victim of a terrifying secret hidden in The Reeds. Check out the release, trailer and new still below.
THE REEDS, the seventh pick for After Dark Films Horrorfest 4, was announced today by ADF CEO Courtney Solomon. The national film festival opens January 29, 2010, for one-week in 25 markets.
In THE REEDS, a weekend boating trip through the Norfolk Broads becomes a deadly ordeal for six 20-something year old friends who lose their bearings in the vast reedy tidewaters. Chances of escape and hopes for survival diminish as inexplicable forces terrorize the lost and terrified group.
THE REEDS was written by Chris Baker and Simon Sprackling from a story by Chris Baker. Nick Cohen directs a cast of young actors, including Anna Brewster, O.T. Fagbenle, Will Mellor, Danny Caltagirone, Scarlett Johnson and Emma Catherwood. Geoff Bell appears as Mr. Croker.
The film was produced by Simon Sprackling, with Charlie Gauvain Co- Producing. Screen East, Silverstream Productions, Altadena Films, Delacheroy Films and DI Dragon financed the picture.
Dana Lambert, VP of Acquisitions at After Dark, brokered the deal with Ildi Toth Davy of Altadena Films.
ADF Exec Stephanie Caleb stated, “We’re thrilled to have acquired Nick Cohen’s latest feature! The cast is terrific, and the seemingly tranquil and scenic setting is anything but!! This isn’t a place you’d want to be lost.”
Producer Simon Sprackling added, “We are surprised and delighted to be signed up for such a prestigious genre showcase and to have the weight of the studio behind us.”
Director Cohen commented, “I am delighted that The Reeds has been selected for the After Dark slate. It is a real privilege to be participating in such an exciting and groundbreaking festival line-up.”
Movies
‘Abigail’ on Track for a Better Opening Weekend Than Universal’s Previous Two Vampire Attempts
In the wake of Leigh Whannell’s Invisible Man back in 2020, Universal has been struggling to achieve further box office success with their Universal Monsters brand. Even in the early days of the pandemic, Invisible Man scared up $144 million at the worldwide box office, while last year’s Universal Monsters: Dracula movies The Last Voyage of the Demeter and Renfield didn’t even approach that number when you COMBINE their individual box office hauls.
The horror-comedy Renfield came along first in April 2023, ending its run with just $26 million. The period piece Last Voyage of the Demeter ended its own run with a mere $21 million.
But Universal is trying again with their ballerina vampire movie Abigail this weekend, the latest bloodbath directed by the filmmakers known as Radio Silence (Ready or Not, Scream).
Unlike Demeter and Renfield, the early reviews for Abigail are incredibly strong, with our own Meagan Navarro calling the film “savagely inventive in terms of its vampiric gore,” ultimately “offering a thrill ride with sharp, pointy teeth.” Read her full review here.
That early buzz – coupled with some excellent trailers – should drive Abigail to moderate box office success, the film already scaring up $1 million in Thursday previews last night. Variety notes that Abigail is currently on track to enjoy a $12 million – $15 million opening weekend, which would smash Renfield ($8 million) and Demeter’s ($6 million) opening weekends.
Working to Abigail‘s advantage is the film’s reported $28 million production budget, making it a more affordable box office bet for Universal than the two aforementioned movies.
Stay tuned for more box office reporting in the coming days.
In Abigail, “After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight. In an isolated mansion, the captors start to dwindle, one by one, and they discover, to their mounting horror, that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl.”
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