New Genre Studio “Welcome Villain Films” Launches With Two Exciting New Film Projects
Mary Beth McAndrews
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Welcome Villain Films has announced its arrival as a new production and distribution company—a fully integrated genre studio with an innovative business model and flexible approach to development, production, marketing, and strategic distribution. The company also unveiled its first two feature film projects: an expanded re-imagining of the beloved horror hit Last Shift, and an untitled slasher project from the creators of the celebrated franchise The Houses October Built.
Welcome Villain Films (WVF) is a destination for filmmakers with unique voices who seek a creative studio partner that embraces their visions and has the ability to deliver them to genre-hungry audiences in exciting new ways. The executive team at WVF is stacked with decades of collective experience in producing, marketing and releasing films, with a true passion for the horror genre. The company’s mission is to empower creators of all levels, bridging the gap between studio and artist to consistently deliver edgy and exciting films in the horror and genre space.
Welcome Villain Films is comprised of four founding executive partners, with plans to expand the team as the year progresses. Head of Operations Bonner Bellew, a founder and CEO of advertising and media agency Soda & Lime, previously served as a television producer at NBC Universal and Warner Brothers, founder and CCO at Rocket XL, and Executive Creative Director at Big Picture Group. Bonner will bring his decades of industry experience and operational fluency into the fold, building a powerhouse studio structure to support an expanding roster of genre-specific content.
“In the ever-changing landscape of film distribution, WVF aims to be a beacon for filmmakers who are looking to collaborate with a full-fledged studio without all of the headaches and hurdles those relationships have presented in the past,” says Dan Clifton, Head of Production.
“Our fully-integrated studio model gives filmmakers the creative control they need to bring their visions to life, accompanied by the support of comprehensive studio-led marketing and distribution plans” states Eric Kleifield, Head of Creative. “
We live, breathe, and dream horror, and our goal is to partner with artists who share that same passion, and to support their creative visions in a truly collaborative fashion, ultimately bringing high-quality films to the widest audience possible, in hopes of breathing new life into the genre,” says Luke LaBeau, Head of Development. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to kick off WVF with two exciting horror projects from visionary filmmakers Anthony DiBlasi, and Bobby Roe and Zack Andrews. These films bring all the mayhem and bravado that genre fans love, and then some.”
To kick off the studio, Welcome Villain Films announces a reimagining of horror hit Last Shift, a critically-acclaimed supernatural horror film released by Magnolia Pictures that was named among the top 5 horror films of 2015. The studio is collaborating with the film’s original creators, writer/director Anthony DiBlasi and writer/producer Scott Poiley, who return to a bigger sandbox to expand their vision of nightmare-inducing terror. The project is currently in active development.
“Reimagining the world of Last Shift and pushing the storytelling to its fullest potential has long been a goal of ours. We were constrained by our budget on the first film, and the team at Welcome Villain is giving us the ability to revisit this world, delivering more of what fans loved about the original but also expanding on the mythology to terrify a whole new audience” says director Anthony DiBlasi.
WVF is announcing a second project in collaboration with Bobby Roe and Zack Andrews, filmmakers behind the hit horror franchise The Houses October Built, which has garnered a massive reputation over the years as essential Halloween-time viewing. Their film, currently untitled and also in active development, will bring a shocking new entry to the slasher canon.
“We’re excited to bring creative kills and new twists to the genre, and happy to be spilling blood with Welcome Villain on this longtime passion project of ours.” says filmmakers Bobby Roe and Zack Andrews. “Welcome Villain is a team that respects every facet of the genre from production to its incredible innovative marketing capabilities, and we’re thrilled about this partnership.”
For more information on Welcome Villain Films:
Website: welcomevillain.com
Twitter: @welcomevillain
Instagram: @welcomevillain
Facebook: @welcomevillain
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