Shudder said Wednesday that it has acquired rights to The Surrender, writer-director Julia Max‘s supernatural horror that just had its world premiere in the Midnighter section at SXSW. The streamer will release it in North America, UK/Ireland and Australia/New Zealand on May 23.
Colby Minifie (The Boys) and Kate Burton (Grey’s Anatomy) topline the movie, about a mother-daughter relationship put to a terrifying test when the family patriarch dies and the grieving mother hires a mysterious stranger to bring her husband back from the dead. As the bizarre and bloody resurrection spirals out of control, the women must confront their differences as they fight for their lives and for each other. Neil Sandilands (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) also stars.
Max said during the movie team’s visit to the Deadline Studio that the story is loosely based on what Max and Max’s mother went through when Max’s stepfather died.
“The beautiful thing about this script is that it’s so well written and so specific, and because it’s so specific, it’s so easy to connect to,” Minifie added. “It’s universal in that way of having to deal with the grief of losing your parents and caring for your parent when they’re sick.”
“The Surrender’s fusion of body horror and the supernatural crafts an atmospheric descent into the abyss of loss and consequence, brought to life with brilliant performances from Colby Minifie and Kate Burton,” SVP Shudder Acquisitions and Production Emily Gotto said in announcing the deal. “This is bold, audacious storytelling — one that lingers long after the credits fade — and announces the arrival of Julia Max as a striking new voice in the genre.”
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Blue Finch Films brokered the deal with Shudder on the pic, which is produced by Max, Mia Chang, Lovell Holder, Ian McDonald and Robert J. Ulrich. Susan Gelb, Adam Maffei and Rob Massar are executive producers.
“I am absolutely thrilled that The Surrender has found a home with Shudder,” Max said. “They have such a wonderfully curated collection of horror films and a dedicated audience of horror fanatics. I feel lucky to be included within their ranks.”