The Australian horror feature Talk to Me is headed to A24 after premiering at Sundance during the Midnight Selections lineup Jan. 21, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The deal is valued in the high seven figures, according to sources.
The gory film stars Sophia Wilde as teenager Mia, who, on the anniversary of her mother’s death, gathers for a seance with her friends. Things take a dark turn as the boundaries between worlds collapses, and Mia is haunted by supernatural visions. Miranda Otto, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji and Zoe Terakes also star in Talk to Me.
Twin filmmaking duo Danny and Michael Philippou are behind the project, with Danny penning the script with Bill Hinzman. The twins are known as the YouTube duo RackaRacka, where they produce horror videos with a comedic bent.
Talk to Me, which is planned for a theatrical release, is being positioned in the tradition of scary features such as Saw, Paranormal Activity and Insidious. The deal comes as horror remains one of the few genres that still dependably draws audiences to theaters, with Paramount’s Smile and Universal’s M3GAN among recent hits. A24 released the acclaimed horror features X and Pearl last year, with the pair of films making a horror star out of lead Mia Goth.
Earlier on Tuesday, the indie studio was riding high when it nabbed 18 Oscar nominations, with its Everything Everywhere All at Once bringing home more noms than any other film this year.
Variety first reported the news of the A24 acquisition of Talk to Me.
