Samuel Goldwyn Films has picked up the North American distribution rights to Jacob Johnston's feature writing and directing debut Dreamcatcher – which doesn't have anything to do with the Stephen King novel of the same title, or its infamous 2003 cinematic adaptation (which you can watch HERE). Apologies to Johnston for mentioning that movie in an article about his film, but it's kind of unavoidable. That Dreamcatcher casts a large shadow.
Johnston's Dreamcatcher will be getting a Digital and On Demand release in North American sometime in March 2021.
The horror-thriller centers on a character named
Dylan, known to his fans as DJ Dreamcatcher, who is on the brink of global stardom. Everything changes the night of Cataclysm, an underground music festival, where two estranged sisters and their friends meet Dylan. After a drug fueled gruesome event, things begin to spiral into a 48-hour whirlwind of violence and mayhem.
Niki Koss, Zachary Gordon, Travis Burns, Blaine Kern III, Olivia Sui, Elizabeth Posey, Emrhys Cooper, Ben. J Pierce, Al Calderon, Eva Shaw, Nazanin Mandi, Adrienne Wilkinson, and Lou Ferrigno Jr. star.
Krystal Vayda and Brandon Vayda produced Dreamcatcher through their company Quarzo Studios. The film was also executive produced by Archstone Entertainment's Jack Sheehan, Scott Martin, and Michael Slifkin, alongside Jacques Kurdian.
The Vaydas had this to say about the project:
The idea behind Dreamcatcher was to design a film that brings back the whodunnit, the empty house scare, and the backyard fright all wrapped up in an original screenplay. We approached the film, from the beginning with Jacob, wanting to tastefully – and artfully – capture varying facets of society, with the sexy backdrop of a colorful pulsating Music Festival, all while set in the glamorous city of Los Angeles, California. This was to say, build a world that feels surreal – but obtainable, seductive, -but never explicit, and fun, however equally frightening.
The story is ripe with everything you come to expect from a genre film: twists, turns, and a dose of scares. While thematically, we explore the effects of trauma, the insatiable thirst for materialism and fame, and of course, the loss of innocence and corruption of power. The character development, and ensemble cast, gave us the opportunity to connect in a meaningful personal way, with varying audience demographics across the world.
We are very much excited and grateful to be partnering with such a prestigious company and storied name in the motion picture business as Samuel Goldwyn Films. We are excited for what’s to come and see it all unfold into reality!"
A first look image from Dreamcatcher can be seen right here: