Buenos Aires-based FilmSharks has closed more theatrical deals for Paraguayan horror-maestro Hugo J. Cardozo’s “Do Not Enter” (“No Entres”), which debuts its international trailer in Variety before its Asian premiere at the Busan Film Festival.
Busch Media for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Brazil’s Playarte, Portugal’s Nos Lusomundo and Corazon Films for Mexico have inked theatrical deals for the horror pic, joining previous accords struck with Program Store for France and Russia/CIS’s Nashe Kino.
FilmSharks’ Federico Pascua, Martias Fontenla and CEO Guido Rud, who handled the pacts, reveal that Japan, Korea, Spain and the U.S. are in talks while remake discussions are underway with the U.S. and India. The film’s success underscores the wide international appeal of the horror genre.
Pic tags a pair of YouTube influencers, Luciano and Cristian, who break into an abandoned mansion that is said to be haunted. Eager to thrill their online followers with ever more shocking content, they push aside their fears. As they explore the mansion at night, increasingly strange and terrifying events unfold. In the final moments, a ghoul with glowing eyes reaches out to them, revealing that in their zeal to capture more click-baits and likes, they have now become the bait.
Pic had its world premiere at Cannes where it was the opening film of the genre hub Fantastic Pavilion this year. The Argentine-Paraguay co-production was produced by Rud and Rene Ruiz Diaz (“The Goldseekers”) with Cardozo and Sébastien Auscher, creator and producer of Netflix hit “Under Paris,” serving as executive producers. Film is part of the three-pic deal that Gud and Ruiz Diaz signed with Cardozo’s HJ Production banner last year.
Said FilmSharks Sales VP Fontenla: “We’re very happy with ‘Do Not Enter’’s international performance. It’s another example of how Latin American talent keeps growing from strength to strength. I got the chance to sell Cardozo’s previous film ‘Morgue’ and witness its success firsthand. That’s why we were optimistic about this title from scratch, Hugo is very talented and he’s forging a path to become one of the key Latin American directors to watch.”
“Morgue,” a 2019 paranormal mystery-thriller that turns on a security guard trapped in a hospital morgue, was known as the Spanish-language “Paranormal Activity” that beat all studio horror films at the local Paraguayan box office, including “It Chapter 2” and “Anabelle Comes Home.”
“Morgue” sold to the U.S. (Well Go USA) and Latin America (WarnerMedia’s HBO Latin America), along with Korea, Japan, France, Spain, and Russia.
In recent news, Mexico’s BH5 Studios optioned the remake rights from FilmSharks label The Remake Company. Producers from the U.S., Indonesia, Spain and France are also in talks for the remake rights.
“’Morgue’ is a unique suspense film that launched Hugo Cardozo’s in the international market. We are thrilled that Rodrigo Trujillo and BH5 Studios have committed to remake it, we’re confident that they will take ‘Morgue’ to the next level,” said FilmSharks senior executive Pascua.
Source Agencies
