Daniel Isn’t Real, starring Robbins and Schwarzenegger, lands distribution

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Eleven months after it was announced that SOME KIND OF HATE director Adam Egypt Mortimer was working on a thriller titled DANIEL ISN'T REAL, the film has now secured a North American distribution deal with Samuel Goldwyn Films and Shudder. The companies will be working together to bring DANIEL ISN'T REAL to theatres and VOD sometime in late 2019.

The film stars Miles Robbins (son of Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon) and Patrick Schwarzenegger (son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver) in the story of 

troubled college freshman Luke (Robbins), who suffers a violent family trauma and resurrects his childhood imaginary friend Daniel (Schwarzenegger) to help him cope. Charismatic and full of manic energy, Daniel helps Luke to achieve his dreams, before pushing him to the very edge of sanity and into a desperate struggle for control of his mind — and his soul.

It's based on the novel In This Way I Was Saved by Brian DeLeeuw (you can pick up a copy HERE), and DeLeeuw wrote the screenplay with Mortimer.

Robbins and Schwarzenegger's co-stars include Sasha Lane, Hannah Marks, and Mary Stuart Masterson.

DANIEL ISN'T REAL was produced by SpectreVision's Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah, Josh C. Waller, and Lisa Whalen. ACE Pictures' Johnny Chang, Peter Wong, Emma Lee, and Timur Bekbosunov serve as executive producers alongside SpectreVision's Stacy Jorgensen, Elisa Lleras, and Michael McGuire.

Miles Fineburg of Samuel Goldwyn Films had this to say about the distribution deal: 

The film is striking in so many ways from visuals and performances to the incredible execution of psychological horror. We immediately recognized that Adam had crafted something special here and are excited to partner with Shudder and bring it to audiences everywhere."

Mortimer adds: 

In Goldwyn and Shudder we've found two ideal partners who perfectly represent the unique hybrid of qualities that our movie has to offer: at once a provocative identity thriller drama for a discerning arthouse audience and gonzo face-melter for devotees of extreme cinemas."

"Gonzo face-melter"? Okay, I'm fully sold.
 

Robbins had a run-in with Michael Myers in last year's HALLOWEEN