Slayers, a vampire horror comedy starring Thomas Jane, is a project we’ve been keeping an eye on ever since it was announced under the title With Teeth last year. Now it’s taking some promising steps toward global release, starting with the fact that the film has landed a distribution deal with The Avenue in the US. The Avenue is the domestic distribution arm of the Highland Film Group, which will be presenting the film to potential international buyers at the virtual American Film Market. Screen Daily notes that The Avenue will be releasing Slayers sometime in 2022.
Directed by K. Asher Levin from a screenplay Levin wrote with Zack Imbrogno, Slayers finds Jane in the role of
Elliot Jones, a man who has made it his life’s mission to search for the vampire who murdered his teenage daughter. He finally gets his shot at revenge when he hears that The Stream Team, a group of social media superstars including party girl Jules and Gen-Z pro-gamer Flynn, have got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet reclusive billionaire Beverly Rektor at her vacation compound. When the group discovers Rektor has not planned an evening of fun and descends from a long line of vicious blood-suckers, they must fight for their lives inside her house of horrors. Can Jones save the day?
Jane is joined in the cast by Abigail Breslin as Jules, Kara Hayward as Flynn, Malin Akerman as Beverly Rektor, and Lydia Hearst. Jane and Hayward are featured in the first look image from the film that can be seen below.
Levin and Breslin produced Slayers with Daniel Cummings and Robert Dean. BondIt Media Capital & Buffalo 8 Productions’ Grady Craig, Matthew Helderman, and Luke Taylor serve as executive producers alongside Akerman, Jarnell Stokes, Josh Monkarsh, Walk Like A Duck, and Jane (through his company Renegade Films).
Levin had this to say about the distribution deal:
I’m beyond thrilled to work with the visionary team at Highland and The Avenue, supporting my unique vision for this insane spin on classic horror.”
Jane added:
I think Slayers is going to be a vampire movie with a big bite and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
The Avenue’s JJ Caruth provided the following statement:
We are excited to introduce a film with an original twist on a classic monster tale with such a talented cast to international buyers. The vampire genre is always compelling and it’s thrilling to see them hold their own in the age of social media, having them go fang to fang with superstar influencers.”
And here’s what Highland Film Group COO Delphine Perrier had to say:
Slayers is made in the tradition of beloved horror comedies such as From Dusk Till Dawn and Shaun Of The Dead. The Mist‘s Thomas Jane and Zombieland‘s Abigail Breslin are the perfect pair to bring this film to the screen.”
It’s definitely on my “must see” list.