When I was a kid, the 1993 alien abduction film FIRE IN THE SKY was a regular fixture on cable television, and every time I would catch a glimpse of it the imagery and atmosphere would creep the hell out of me. FIRE IN THE SKY was based on author Travis Walton's account of his own alien abduction experience, so it makes sense that filmmakers working on an alien abduction film would seek advice from him. That's what the team behind the upcoming sci-fi thriller BEYOND THE SKY did; Walton served as a consultant on the film and also has a cameo in it.
Directed by Fulvio Sestito from a story he crafted with Rebecca Berrih and Warren Thomas, which was then fleshed out into a screenplay by Thomas and Marc Porterfield, BEYOND THE SKY centers on
Chris Norton, who has had a powerful and traumatic connection to alien abductions since his early childhood, but, in his gut, he knows they are not real. Setting out to disprove the alien abduction phenomenon once and for all, he attends a UFO convention to meet alleged abductees and reveal the truth behind their experiences. It is only when he meets Emily, who claims to have been abducted every seven years on her birthday, that Chris realizes there may be more to these claims than meets the eye. With Emily’s 28th birthday only days away, Chris helps her to uncover the truth as they come face to face with the reality that we are not alone.
Berrih also produced the film through her company Elysian Fields Entertainment, along with Evan J. Cholfin and Kal Pictures' Martine Melloul. Richard Esposito, Nathanael Eisenberg, Dany Berrih, Samuel Berrih, Roland Bijaoui, Barron De Sanctis, David Berrih, and Marc Loven served as executive producers.
Ryan Carnes, Jordan Hinson, Martin Sensmeier, Don Stark, and Peter Stormare star.
RLJE Films recently acquired the North American distribution rights to the film and are planning to give it a theatrical, VOD, and digital HD release on September 21st. With the release less than a month away, a trailer has been released online and can be seen below.
BEYOND THE SKY probably won't creep me out as much as FIRE IN THE SKY did, but it looks like it could be interesting.