Here Before: Andrea Riseborough thriller acquired by Saban Films

Two years have passed since we heard Andrea Riseborough (Mandy, Possessor, Oblivion, The Grudge (2020), etc.) would be starring in writer/director Stacey Gregg’s psychological thriller Here Before, and now we finally have some distribution news to share: Saban Films has acquired the rights to release Here Before (in partnership with Defiant Screen Entertainment) in North America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

Variety didn’t mention any potential release window when breaking this news, but it’s a great step forward for the film.

Gregg’s feature debut, Here Before finds Riseborough in the role of Laura, “a grieving mother who becomes emotionally affected by the presence of her new neighbors’ young daughter.” Here’s the synopsis:

When a new family moves in next door, their young daughter, Megan, quickly captivates Laura, stirring up painful memories of her own daughter who died several years previously. Before long, Laura’s memories turn to obsession as Megan’s unsettling behavior begins to convince her of something supernatural. As Laura’s determination to get to the bottom of it becomes all consuming, her family begins to fracture and the line between the extraordinary and the real becomes ever more obscured in this haunting story about a mother’s love.

Riseborough is joined in the cast by Jonjo O’Neill (The Fall), Martin McCann (Calibre), Eileen O’Higgins (Brooklyn), and newcomer Niamh Dornan.

Saban’s Bill Bromiley had this to say about the film:

Riseborough gives a formidable performance as a bereaved mother questioning her reality, and she paints Gregg’s portrait of grief with intensity and charm. We can’t wait for audiences to witness Gregg’s impeccable attention to detail and compelling dark narrative.”

Here Before was produced by Julia Godzinskaya and Sophie Vickers of Rooks Nest. BBC Film, Pia Pressure, and Northern Ireland Screen provided the financing. Eva Yates of BBC Film, Pia Getty and James Durrant of Pia Pressure, and Will Norton of Rooks Nest serve as executive producers.