Producer and financier Anton (Greenland, “His Dark Materials,” The Night House) has announced that its latest production, the feature film CURS>R, has recently wrapped principal photography in the U.K. A dark twist on the ‘80s gaming obsession, the horror thriller stars Asa Butterfield (“Sex Education,” Greed, Hugo), Iola Evans (“The 100,” “Carnival Row”) and Eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes, The Gentleman, Happy Go Lucky). The film also features horror maestro Robert Englund (the iconic Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street). Rounding out the cast is Angela Griffin (“The Hollow,” “White Lines,” “Harlots”), Kate Fleetwood (Beirut, Deliverers, Star Wars: Episode VII), Ryan Gage (The Hobbit, “The Musketeers”, “Endeavor”) and Joe Bolland (“The Trial of Christine Keeler”).
Anton will oversee world sales and introduce the project to buyers at the upcoming Cannes virtual market later this month, in association with Endeavor Content who is co-representing the US.
In pursuit of an unclaimed $125,000 prize, a broke college dropout (Iola Evans) decides to play an obscure, 1980s survival computer game. But the game curses her, and she’s faced with dangerous choices and reality-warping challenges. After a series of unexpectedly terrifying moments, she realizes she’s no longer playing for the money, but for her life. The game locks her into an inescapable cycle of mind-bending horror. Stopping is not an option. It’s play or die!
Produced by Anton’s Sebastien Raybaud and John Zois alongside Stigma Films’ Matthew James Wilkinson (Yesterday, Days of the Bagnold Summer, Amulet), CURS>R is directed by Toby Meakins (Breathe, Floor 9.5) and written by Simon Allen (‘The Watch’, ‘Das Boot’, ‘The Musketeers’). Simon Allen, Liza Glucoft and Nick Angel (Yesterday, Days of the Bagnold Summer) are executive producers. Holly Hubsher is also overseeing the project on behalf of Anton. Shot on location in London, the film participated in the U.K. government Film & TV Production Restart Scheme.
Anton’s John Zois stated: “Toby is a visionary in the horror space with an innate genius for both original storytelling and the stark, eerie palates he creates on screen. Simon, Toby and Matt have worked to create something uniquely thrilling for horror fans.”
Stigma Films’ Matthew James Wilkinson added: “Incredibly excited to be working on such an original and terrifying concept as CURS>R - taking modern horror and twisting it to pit our hero against 80s nostalgia! Simon, Toby and I have enjoyed working with Anton to bring this idea to the screen.”
Coverage in The Hollywood Reporterr, Deadline, Variety and Forbes Talk.
