Visual Effects work holding up Alexandre Aja’s Horns

Last Updated on July 23, 2021

One film many of us were really looking forward to checking out this year was Alexandre Aja's take on Joe Hill's HORNS, an adaptation of the best-selling novel that stars Daniel Radcliffe, Juno Temple and James Remar that we've been covering for some time. We haven't heard much about the film in several months and now The Wrap has uncovered the reason behind the hold up.

Struggling visual-effects studio Newbreed will have to ship out work on HORNS to another company, The Wrap has learned, with producers Mandalay Pictures and Red Granite Pictures yet to decide what company will be awarded the additional work.

The Montreal-based Newbreed is enduring a severe cash crunch as it tries to refinance its debt, according to an individual with knowledge of the company's finances. The cash flow difficulties have left many Newbreed employees unpaid for weeks and resulted in an exodus of talent.

A recently departed employee speculated that Newbreed has completed about 80 percent of the work it was contracted to do — but much of the effects it has created have yet to be approved by Red Granite and Mandalay.

Mandalay Pictures President Cathy Schulman and Red Granite Vice-Chairman Joey McFarland said in a statement to TheWrap…

We’re in business with Newbreed and wish them well, but due to our schedule, we need to move some work."

Hopefully another company will be found quickly and work can resume on HORNS. We're dying to see it!

HORNS is about a decent enough young man named Ignatius Perrish, a guy who has always tried to do the right thing, only to see his whole life abruptly torn away from him. His girlfriend, the person he loves more than anyone in the world, is killed, and although he’s never charged with the murder, everyone, including his family and friends, believe Ig is responsible. Then one night Ig goes out drunk to rage and curse God, and when he wakes, he discovers he’s grown a pair of horns, and that people have a sudden compulsion to confess their darkest secrets and ugliest impulses to him. It isn’t long before Ig turns his terrible new powers to finding the man who killed his beloved, and taking his revenge.

We'll keep you posted on news regarding HORNS as we hear it (hopefully sooner rather than later!).