Paladin has acquired domestic theatrical rights to They Remain, an under-the-rader, indie genre-bending film written and directed by Philip Gelatt (Europa Report). And to kick off its exposure, the H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival has announced that it will make its World Premiere there, on Saturday, October 7th, with an encore screening on Sunday, October 8th.
The much-highly anticipated indie film, adapted from Laird Barron’s short story -30-, explores the evolving relationship between Keith and Jessica, two scientists who are employed by a vast, impersonal corporation to investigate an unspeakable horror that took place at the remote encampment of a mysterious cult. Working and living in a state-of-the-art, high tech environment that is completely at odds with their surroundings, they spend their days gathering physical evidence, analyzing it, and reporting on their findings. The intensity of their work, and their extreme isolation, bring the pair closer. But when they discover a mysterious artifact of unknown origin, the dynamic between them changes: secrets are kept, sexual tensions arise, and paranoia sets in. Keith begins to have visions and is unable to distinguish whether they are nightmares or hauntings. Having lost all sense of what is real and what is imagined, all he knows is that the horror he and Jessica have been sent to uncover – a horror that could be biological, psychological, or supernatural – now threatens his very survival.
They Remain stars William Jackson Harper (who co-starred in Tahir Jetter’s 2016 feature film debut, How to Tell You’re a Douchebag) and Rebecca Henderson (Mistress America) as Keith and Jessica.
The film’s third “star” is cinematographer Sean Kirby, whose hallucinatory images contribute immeasurably to its disorienting, disturbing mood. Kirby’s credits include the acclaimed documentaries Racing Extinction, and The Tillman Story,” as well as Robinson Devor’s notorious Zoo, which created a sensation at both Sundance and Cannes, and which Urman executive produced and released through THINKFilm.
Peter Askin produced with Battersby.
About the distribution deal, Paladin president Urman said, “I can’t remember when I last encountered a film that so completely defies categorization and so consistently forges new territory as ‘They Remain.’ Phil weaves such a potent spell, and creates such extraordinary images, you’re utterly convinced that, any second, something awful will happen. I’m so excited to have people see it, just so I can talk about it with them!”
“We are extremely honored to be showing this genre-bending thriller to our highly engaged audience even before it makes its theatrical run next year,” said Brian Callahan, H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival Festival Director. “The film has already been acquired for distribution by Paladin, and the producers of They Remain know that it is a perfect fit for the H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival. Laird Barron has been a guest at the festival in the past, and it’s only fitting that the feature film adaptation of his story premieres to the best audience in the world.”
Barron’s novels, short fiction, and poems have earned him a substantial following among aficionados of fantasy, noir, horror, and sci-fi, and have twice won him the Shirley Jackson Award. Writer/director Gelatt, similarly, combines multi-disciplinary experience as a graphic novelist and comic book creator for the “Indiana Jones” franchise, and for such companies as Dark Horse Comics and Oni Press, with his background as a video game writer for such companies as Crystal Dynamics and Frictional Games, and on Rise of The Tomb Raider (for which he won the WGA Award).
The deal was negotiated by Urman and Reno principal, Will Battersby, who served as the film’s producer. Paladin and Reno are prepping They Remain for a film festival launch and an eventual theatrical release.
The 22nd Annual H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival takes place October 6-8th at the historic Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd. Full Weekend and Single Day Tickets are available through the theatre’s box office: https://hollywoodtheatre.org/
An official trailer for They Remain has also premiered. Watch it below:
