Shepherd trailer: Saban Films to give supernatural thriller a theatrical, VOD release in May

A few months ago, we heard that Saban Films would soon be bringing writer/director Russell Owen’s supernatural thriller Shepherd – which already received a theatrical release in the United Kingdom – to North America. Now we know how that release is going to be handled: Shepherd is set to reach theatres in North America on May 6th, with a digital and VOD release to follow on May 10th. Along with the release info comes the unveiling of a new trailer, which you can watch in the embed above.

Owen has referred to Shepherd as a “passion project”, and said that it was loosely based on a true story from his native Wales. The film’s story centers on

Eric Black, who finds work on a remote, weather-worn Scottish island after the sudden death of his wife. As his sadness continues to engulf him, so do the supernatural portents of his stark new surroundings. He soon becomes plagued by terrifying visions until it is clear he must confront his past trauma to survive.

Shepherd stars Tom Hughes (Red Joan, Victoria), Kate Dickie (Game of Thrones, The Green Knight), Gaia Weiss (Vikings, Medici), and Greta Scacchi (The Player, The Terror).

When the distribution deal was announced, Saban’s Bill Bromiley had this to say about Shepherd:

Russell serves up pure nightmare fuel, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality in this chilling meditation on grief. The performances are heartbreaking, especially from the compelling Hughes. We’re thrilled to bring this emotionally powerful, yet wildly unnerving film to audiences.”

That sounds very promising to me.

Let us know what you thought of the trailer for Shepherd by leaving a comment below – and if you happened to catch the movie during its UK release, let us know whether you liked it or not.

Here’s some new promotional art, and what did you think of the Shepherd trailer?