‘Candy Land’ Horror-Thriller From ‘Ida Red’ Team Acquired By Quiver Distribution
EXCLUSIVE: Quiver Distribution has taken North American rights to the horror-thriller Candy Land, written and directed by John Swab (Ida Red), slating it for release in theaters and on demand on January 6.
Candy Land follows Remy (Olivia Luccardi), a seemingly naive and devout young woman, who finds herself cast out from her religious cult. With no place to turn, she immerses herself in the underground world of truck stop sex workers a.k.a. “lot lizards,” courtesy of her hosts, Sadie (Sam Quartin), Riley (Eden Brolin), Liv (Virginia Rand) and Levi (Owen Campbell). Under the watchful eye of their matriarch, Nora (Guinevere Turner), and enigmatic local lawman, Sheriff Rex (Billy Baldwin), Remy navigates between her strained belief system and the lot lizard code to find her true calling in life.
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Candy Land world premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in August and is currently continuing its journey along the festival circuit, having already made stops at festivals like FrightFest, the Lisbon Horror Film Festival and Grimmfest, among many others. Swab and Jeremy M. Rosen (Ida Red) produced, with Robert Ogden Barnum and Michael Reiser serving as executive producers.
“Candy Land is my first venture into the horror genre,” said Swab. “While it’s more of a traditional slasher film, we wanted it to have no boundaries and push the limits. I’m in love with this film and find it to be an authentic tale with the nostalgia of the great 90s cult cinema that inspired me; BULLY, SCREAM, WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE. In a world where people are afraid to take chances, this film and everyone who helped make it pulled no punches.”
“We are thrilled to partner with a fearless filmmaker like John Swab,” added Quiver Distribution Co-Presidents, Barry Meyerowitz and Jeff Sackman. “This stellar cast will subvert audience expectations and they won’t be able to look away.”
Quiver just produced and released Walter Hill’s Western Dead for a Dollar with Christoph Waltz, Willem Dafoe and Rachel Brosnahan. Other recently released titles from the company include the crime thriller Bandit, with Mel Gibson, Josh Duhamel and Elisha Cuthbert, and the buddy comedy Bromates from writer-director Court Crandall. Also coming up for the distributor is The Wrath of Becky — the sequel to its horror-thriller Becky, which emerged as a sleeper hit in 2020. The new film starring Seann William Scott and the original’s Lulu Wilson will be released early next year.
Judah Klatzker negotiated the deal for Candy Land on behalf of Quiver Distribution with Rosen of Roxwell Films on behalf of the filmmakers.
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