Editorial Staff
Screen Media has acquired North American rights to ”Deep Murder”, the comedy horror directorial debut of Nick Corirossi, starring Jerry O’Connell, Christopher McDonald, Chris Redd, Katie Aselton, Quinn Beswick, Josh Margolin, Jessica Parker Kennedy and Stephanie Drake. The film was written by Quinn Beswick, Josh Margolin, Benjamin Smolen and Nikolai Von Keller and premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival this past September. Screen Media is planning to release the film theatrically and on demand in the first half of 2019.
“I set out to make a film both funnier and more successful than Billionaire Boys Club and I have 100 percent accomplished that,” said Corirossi. “Deep Murder is the [Star Wars Episode 1:] The Phantom Menace of softcore porn comedy horrors.”
The story is set in the alternate reality of a tacky soft-core porn film, where a group of increasingly self-aware stock characters are up against a mysterious killer offing them one by one.
“It is so great sitting in theaters where people are laughing uncontrollably,” said Producer Jesse Berger of Dark Web Productions, “Nick made a film that bends and delivers in both the horror and comedy genres.” Producer Eric B. Fleischman of Defiant Studios continued, “When I first read this script, there was something nostalgic and risqué about this brand of humor, which is hard to find, but widely commercial.”
“If my teenage self looked ahead and saw that I got to be part of this film, I’d be ecstastic,” said Seth Needle, SVP Worldwide Acquisitions at Screen Media. “Nick and the team have made a really funny, unique movie that we literally can’t wait to work on.”
Deep Murder is produced by Dark Web Productions, Defiant Studios, and LIFE Entertainment, in association with Slated. Producers are Eric B. Fleischman, Andrew Swett, Jesse Berger, Brent Johnson, Drew Foster, and Patrick McErlean, and executive producers are Teddy Cabugos, Michael Yedwab, Craig Dobbin, Alan Sliper, Cary Anderson, and Christopher McDonald. Carl Braid is a co-executive producer and Josh Berger is co-producer.
The deal was negotiated by Seth Needle, SVP of Worldwide Acquisitions at Screen Media, with ICM and CAA on behalf of the filmmakers.
