Arrow Films Acquires ‘The Dead Center’ Starring Shane Carruth for U.S. and Other Territories (EXCLUSIVE)

By Stewart Clarke

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Arrow Films has acquired horror movie “The Dead Center” in a multi-territory deal that includes the U.S. and the U.K.

Billy Senese  (“Closer to God”) wrote the screenplay and directed the film. It was co-produced by, and stars, Shane Carruth, who previously wrote, directed and starred in “ Primer ” and made Sundance favorite “ Upstream Color .” It is the first picture he has starred in but not directed.

Jeremy Childs (“Preacher”) and Poorna Jagannathan (“Mile 22″) are also in the film. It tells the story of an unidentified suicide victim (Childs) who comes back to life and walks out of the morgue. Medical examiner Edward Graham (Bill Feehely) begins the search for the missing body, unaware the subject has ended up in the hospital psychiatric ward under the watchful eye of psychiatrist Daniel Forrester (Carruth, pictured). As Graham and Forrester investigate further, it becomes apparent that the patient has brought something terrible back from the other side.

” ‘The Dead Center’ is a smart, entertaining and scary horror film, it’s not often you find this kind of perfect combination, so we are thrilled to be able to bring this exciting picture to audiences across multiple territories,” said Francesco Simeoni, director of content and distribution at Arrow Films. It is planning a second-quarter theatrical release in English-speaking territories.

Circus Road Films is handling worldwide rights and did the deal with Arrow, which has it for North America, Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. “Arrow has quickly established themselves as a tastemaker in the horror genre, which makes them the perfect partner to release ‘The Dead Center,’” said Circus Road founder Glen Reynolds.

Denis Deck and Jonathan Rogers produced, alongside Carruth and Senese. “Arrow is one of a handful of curators whose integrity and love of film is self-evident in every title they select for their audience,” Rogers said.