Writer-director Josh Giuliano has landed a new horror film, “Occupant,” with Focus Features and Blumhouse Atomic Monster. TheWrap reported that the deal was finalized less than 24 hours after the world premiere of his buzzy feature debut, “River,” at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). This rapid acquisition places Giuliano’s sophomore feature under the same banner that recently handled the festival’s breakout hit, “Obsession.”
The production will be a collaboration between Focus Features, which has acquired worldwide rights, Blumhouse Atomic Monster, Divide/Conquer, and Spooky Pictures. Producers for “Occupant” include Jason Blum for Blumhouse Atomic Monster, Gilreath and Hendricks for Divide/Conquer, and Steven Schneider for Spooky Pictures. While “River” entered TIFF with IFC and Shudder attached for distribution, Focus and Blumhouse Atomic Monster are now attached to Giuliano’s next project. Plot details for “Occupant” remain under wraps.
The timing of the announcement coincides with the anniversary of “Obsession,” another Focus/Blumhouse Atomic Monster collaboration that premiered at TIFF last year. Focus acquired “Obsession” out of the festival, and it subsequently became the highest-grossing festival acquisition of all time with a $512 million global gross. On the same day as the “Occupant” news, “Obsession” stars Curry Barker and Inde Navarrette returned to the festival for a screening and on-stage conversation.
“River” opened TIFF’s Midnight Madness section, a slot that previously featured “Obsession” and “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie.” Midnight Madness programmer Peter Kuplowsky told TheWrap ahead of the festival that “River” was the one to watch. He described Giuliano as a filmmaker many will want to work with and called the film “one of the most suspenseful slashers I’ve seen in years.” The film follows three siblings—Jane Levy, Jessica Rothe, and Max Mattern—who are stranded on a remote river by a serial killer. Audiences gave the film a rowdy, cheer-filled reception at its midnight premiere. Giuliano also confirmed to TheWrap that he is “thinking about” making a sequel to “River” in the future.