AMC’s Shudder Acquires Punk Rock Slasher ‘The Ranger’ (EXCLUSIVE)

By Elsa Keslassy

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – AMC’s dedicated genre streaming service Shudder has acquired Jenn Wexler’s punk rock slasher “The Ranger” which had its world premiere at South by Southwest festival in the Midnighters section.

picked up North American, U.K., Australia/New Zealand and Germany/Austria rights. The deal was negotiated by Shudder’s Emily Gotto and 79th& Broadway Entertainment’s Andrew van den Houten, on behalf of Hood River Entertainment and Glass Eye Pix.

Described as reminiscent of “Return of the Living Dead” and “Class of 1984,” “The Ranger” follows a group of young punks who are forced to flee the city and run into a park ranger who shares a mysterious past with one of their own.

The film stars Chloë Levine (“The Transfiguration”), Jeremy Holm (“House of Cards”), Granit Lahu (“The Sinner”), Jeremy Pope, Bubba Weiler (“Puzzle”) and Amanda Grace Benitez (“School of Rock”).

“The Ranger” marks the directorial debut of Wexler, who also wrote the film with Giaco Furino. The helmer previously participated in the Shudder Labs and produced the SXSW Grand Jury Prize-winner “Most Beautiful Island.”

“Jenn Wexler’s feature debut is a smart, stylish and subversive take on the ‘80s slasher, and we’re delighted to bring it to Shudder members,” said Craig Engler, Shudder’s general manager.

The movie was produced by Glass Eye Pix and Hood River Entertainment. The producers are Andrew van den Houten (“Breaking & Exiting”), Larry Fessenden (“Most Beautiful Island”), Ashleigh Snead (“The Block Island Sound”), Heather Buckley and Wexler.

Following its premiere at , “The Ranger” also played on opening night at FrightFest UK, as well as Fantasia, Sydney and Bucheon Fantastic festivals, among many others.

“The Ranger,” which had a limited theatrical run in New York and Los Angeles earlier this month, will next go on to play at Sitges Film Festival and Toronto After Dark. Shudder plans on rolling out the film on its service in 2019.

“Shudder is the streaming service of horror fans’ dreams, made by and for people who love the genre,” said Wexler, adding that the film is his “tribute to punks in horror.”

Van den Houten said “Shudder’s curation is brilliant and their team is passionate about the type of films both Hood River Entertainment and Glass Eye Pix love to make.”