RLJE Films and Shudder Score SXSW Hit The Spine of Night

The coronavirus pandemic might have drastically altered the nature of cinema, but even with the South by Southwest Film Festival holding a virtual event this year, that didn't stop it from delivering compelling content, with one of the festival's standout films The Spine of Night being secured by RLJE Films and Shudder. While complete release details have yet to be unveiled, RLJE Films aims to unveil the film at some point later this year, while the film is expected to stream exclusively on Shudder sometime in 2022. Stay tuned for more details on the release of The Spine of Night.

Per press release, "Produced with hand-rotoscoped animation, The Spine of Night is inspired by the classic works of artists like Ralph Bakshi and Frank Franzetta, and the fantasy genre as it was in the 1970s: boundary-pushing, politically progressive and utterly fearless. RLJE Films plans to release The Spine of Night in theaters later this year. Shudder, which also has UK, Australia, and New Zealand rights, will premiere the film on its platform in 2022."

"The Spine of Night is like the insane love child of Heavy Metal and Mandy," Mark Ward, Chief Acquisitions Officer at RLJE Films, shared in a statement. "The audience response out of SXSW proves this is an instant classic that will be playing on midnight movie screens for years to come."

"The Spine of Night absolutely shreds," Craig Engler, GM of Shudder, added. "It's a fantasy-horror epic that rides lightning directly into the hearts of genre and cult film fans."

Written and directed by Philip Gelatt (They Remain), Morgan Galen King (directorial debut), the film stars Richard E. Grant (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, upcoming Marvel series Loki), Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess, Ash vs Evil Dead), Patton Oswalt (Ratatouille, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Betty Gabriel (Get Out, Westworld), and Joe Manganiello (Zack Snyder's Justice League, Archenemy).

In The Spine of Night, an ultra-violent fantasy epic, ancient dark magic falls into sinister hands and unleashes ages of suffering onto mankind. A group of heroes from different eras and cultures must band together in order to defeat it at all costs.

The Spine of Night was produced by Gelatt, Will Battersby (A Good Marriage), and Jean Rattle (Break-Up Date). Ward and Jess De Leo on behalf of RLJE Films and Emily Gotto on behalf of Shudder negotiated the deal with Hugues Barbier, Justin Timms, and Joe Yanick of Yellow Veil Pictures on behalf of the filmmakers.

Stay tuned for more details on the release of The Spine of Night.

Are you looking forward to checking out the film? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!