Cooties to open Stanley Film Festival; hits theaters/VOD in September

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

After premiering at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, Spectrevision's COOTIES, which stars Elijah Wood and was directed by Jonathan Miliot and Cary Murnion, was scooped up by Lionsgate, later going through some extra filming for a new ending. Now we've learned that COOTIES will be the opening film to kick off this years Stanley Film Festival on April 30, and that the film will be hitting theaters and VOD later this year!

Written by SAW's Leigh Whannell and Fox's "Scream Queens" writer Ian Brennan, COOTIES goes like this:

COOTIES begins when a mysterious virus hits an isolated elementary school, transforming the pre-adolescent children into a feral swarm of mindless savages. An unlikely hero must lead a motley band of teachers in the fight of their lives against the monstrous pupils.

COOTIES will play at the Concert Hall on the Stanley Hotel campus Thursday, April 30, with Elijah Wood (OPEN WINDOWS), Alison Pill, Leigh Whannell (INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2) and Directors Jonathan Millot and Cary Murnion in attendance. Immediately following the film, guests will be treated to a “School Cafeteria” themed party in the McGregor Ballroom.

If you can't make it out to the Stanley Film Festival, no worries: you'll get to see COOTIES soon enough as the film will be one of the debut releases of the newly-launched Lionsgate Premiere label, which will release COOTIES on September 18th in select theaters and on demand.

Our own Chris Bumbray wasn't exactly impressed by COOTIES at Sundance (read his review HERE), but here's hoping that the new ending will play a little better and make the viewing experience more pleasurable.