#AFM: Dark Sky Picks Up Larry Fessenden’s Werewolf Thriller ‘Blackout’ (Exclusive)

Dark Sky Films has acquired North American rights to Blackout, the new film from independent horror veteran Larry Fessenden.

The thriller, about a fine arts painter convinced he is a werewolf wreaking havoc on a small American town, will be released in the first quarter of 2024 in theaters and on digital platforms. Yellow Veil Pictures is handling worldwide rights at the American Film Market. 

Blackout — which stars Alex Hurt (Minyan, New Amsterdam) and Addison Timlin (Submission, American Horror Stories) and received rave reviews during its festival run — marks the reunion of Dark Sky, a subsidiary of MPI Media Group, and Fessenden’s Glass Eye Pix. The two renowned horror companies have previously worked together on contemporary classics, such as Ti West’s The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers, Jim Mickle’s Stake Land and Late Phases, directed by Adrian Garcia. 

“It’s a little bit like coming home, working with MPI/Dark Sky again, especially during this tumultuous time in show biz, when you don’t know who to trust,” said Fessenden. “My goal is to get my movies out to an audience and I can count on the team at Dark Sky Films to make that happen as they have with all our previous collaborations, large and small. And a shout out to Yellow Veil for their work in putting this deal together. Now let’s roll up our sleeves and get busy.”

The distribution agreement was negotiated by Giles Edwards, head of development & acquisitions for Dark Sky Films and Hugues Barbier, Justin Timms and Joe Yanick of Yellow Veil Pictures. Negotiations on behalf of Glass Eye Pix were conducted by Jerry Dasti and Mel Pudig.

“Larry Fessenden and Glass Eye Pix have had an indelible impact on the indie genre world,” said Greg Newman, executive vice president of Dark Sky Films. “Our association with Larry goes back many years and we are thrilled to once again be working with him in releasing this most recent entry within his truly amazing body of work.”

Added MPI’s Edwards: “Larry Fessenden is a gifted filmmaker whose one-of-a-kind vision and style has always set his movies apart. We’re thrilled to bring his remarkable Blackout to the screen.”