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American subversive auteur Bret Easton Ellis will make his directorial debut with “Relapse,” an elevated horror film he wrote that stars “Stranger Things” standout Joseph Quinn.
Paris-based SND has joined the project as producer, alongside Adrian Guerra’s Nostromo (“Penny Dreadful”) and Simon Wallon’s Kiss & Kill (“Bonnie”). SND will handle global sales of “Relapse”, as well as distribution in France, and will present the title at the EFM with an exclusive video.
Quinn, who will next be seen in “A Quiet Place: Day One” and the “Gladiator” sequel, will star in “Relapse” as Matt Cullen, who enters rehab after witnessing a gruesome death during a drugged party. Three months later, he is ready to get his life back and will be staying at his parents’ mansion in the hills above Los Angeles. But things have changed around Matt and everything seems unbalanced.
“Fueled by his unstable personality and the encroaching power of social media, Matt’s paranoia grows, ruining his rehab program. When he begins using again, a mysterious presence begins to grow around Matt, and a monster that has been haunting him since he was a teenager is revealed. “His therapist tries to help, convinced that the monster is really in Matt’s head,” the synopsis reads.
Ellis, whose novels have been translated and published around the world, has been flirting with the world of film for decades, as many of his iconic books, from “American Psycho” to “The Rules of Attraction,” have been adapted for the screen. . His latest book, “The Shards,” a semi-autobiographical novel about serial killers, has been optioned by HBO for a miniseries. Ellis has also written four films, including 2013’s “The Canyons” and 2020’s “Smiley Face Killers.”
“I grew up watching the iconic horror movies of the 1970s,” Ellis said. “I have written ‘Lunar Park’, a horror novel, as a tribute to Stephen King. It seems fitting that my first feature film is a horror film. There’s a simplicity to ‘Relapse’ that feels like the perfect fit for my directorial debut: something direct and impactful.”
Ellis said he has “never seen a monster movie set in the kind of unique Los Angeles setting I wrote about and am familiar with.” The author turned director, who talks about pop culture in “The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast”, described “Relapse” as a “monster movie with (its) characteristic characters (young, handsome, rich) at the center.” He also said it was “a personal film.” “It will have my hits: sex, drugs and paranoia. It will also be a fun, exuberant and commercial film that many people will be able to enjoy,” he continued.
Ramy Nahas, head of international sales at SND, said, “‘Relapse’ combines the look and feel of the horror genre with the unique perspective of Bret Easton Ellis.”
“It’s the perfect combination of the themes that Bret is famous for in a monster movie. A cult author, a rising star actor and a captivating script,” Nahas added.
Wallon said he has collaborated with Bret Easton Ellis for the screen on several short films and believes he has a “unique voice and vision as a writer.” “There is nothing more exciting than being next to him as he invents his film language with his collaborators. Having SND and Adrian Guerra’s experiences in the field to drive this project forward is what Relapse really needs,” Wallon continued.
Nicolas Rolland, who produces the film at SND, says that “Relapse” will have a “tangible, cinematic presence,” like “The Thing,” “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “The Host” or “Alien.”
Rolland said the creature in “Relapse” will be designed by the Oscar-nominated VFX label behind “Society of the Snow,” DDT Studios, which has “three decades of experience bringing fantastical creatures to life, elevating the director’s visions and teasing the audience’s worst nightmares.
Guerra “has unique experience and an impressive track record in producing avant-garde genre features,” Rolland said, citing the producer’s credits including “Buried,” “The Invisible Guest,” “Penny Dreadful” and “Bird Box Barcelona.” .
Quinn is represented by CAA and Curtis Brown Group. Easton Ellis is repped by CAA and Brian Young.
Bill Earl contributed to this report.