Establishing itself as the most consistent buyers of top titles at Fantasia, Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, has acquired period horror feature “The Last Thing Mary Saw” ahead of its Aug. 15 world premiere at the Canadian genre fest.
Directed by Edoardo Vitaletti, “The Last Thing Mary Saw” will be released by Shudder in the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand in 2022. The film will celebrate its U.K. premiere on Aug. 28 at London’s Frightfest.
The acquisition deal was negotiated by Emily Gotto and Samuel Zimmerman on behalf of Shudder and by XYZ Films (Pip Ngo, Nate Bolotin) and CAA Media Finance on behalf of the filmmaker.
Also written by Vitaletti, a Tisch School of The Arts alum who has made over 15 original short films between Italy and the U.S., “The Last Thing Mary Saw” begins in Southold, New York in 1843 as young Mary, blood trickling from behind the blindfold tied around her eyes, is interrogated about the events surrounding her grandmother’s death.
Jumping back in time, the film details how Mary, raised in a repressive religious household, finds fleeting happiness with Eleanor, the home’s maid. But Mary’s family zealously oppose their relationship. “The wages of perceived sin threaten to become death, with the tension only heightened by the arrival of an enigmatic stranger and the revelation of greater forces at work,” the synopsis runs.
Stefanie Scott (“Insidious: Chapter 3”) plays Mary, Isabelle Fuhrman (“Orphan”) Eleanor and Rory Culkin (“Waco,” “Halston”) takes on the role of the stranger.
“We are excited to bring Edoardo’s chilling and unique directorial debut to Shudder. Full of twists and turns that will keep viewers guessing until the very end and featuring an immensely talented cast and crew, ‘The Last Thing Mary Saw’ is a gripping tale that we can’t wait to share with our members,” said Craig Engler, Shudder general manager,
“It is such an honor to join Shudder’s incredible slate of films. For years they have been raising the bar for thought-provoking genre storytelling,” Vitaletti added.
Further buzzy Shudder titles at Fantasia take in “Hellbender” and “Martyrs Lane.”
“The Last Thing Mary Saw” is produced by Isen Robbins and Aimee Schoof (“Tesla,” “Blue Caprice”) of Intrinsic Value Films, Harrison Allen and Madeleine Schumacher of Arachnid Films, and Stephen Tedeschi (“Blue Caprice”). Scoop Wasserstein (“The Outfit”) executive produces.
Having screened 10 films at Sundance, Intrinsic Value’s current slate includes Vitaletti’s next film, several television projects and a partner in the Absolute Comics publishing company.
The 25th Fantasia Intl. Film Festival opened Aug. 5 as a hybrid event with on-site screenings in Montreal and the virtual slate geo-locked to Canada.
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