NEW YORK – April 13, 2022 — Shudder, AMC Network’s premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, has acquired rights to Canadian director Rob Jabbaz’s feature debut The Sadness following its impressive festival run that began at the prestigious 74th annual Locarno Film Festival and celebrated screenings at the Fantasia International Film Festival and Fantastic Fest, where the film took awards for Best First Feature in Montreal and for Best Horror and Best Direction in Austin. The film will be available exclusively on Shudder in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand on Thursday, May 12.
Said Craig Engler, general manager of Shudder, “The Sadness is a brutal, boundary pushing shocker, one of the boldest and bloodiest we’ve ever acquired. We anticipate it having a legendary and well-deserved following among Shudder members.”
The Sadness was shot in Taipei, Taiwan where Canadian writer/director Rob Jabbaz, originally from Mississauga, Ontario, now resides, and follows a young couple, played by Regina Lei (76 Horror Bookstore) and Berant Zhu (We Are Champions, How to Train Our Dragon), trying to reunite amid a city ravaged by a plague that turns its victims into deranged, bloodthirsty sadists. Tzu Chiang Wang (It’s Drizzling) and In Ru Chen also star. The film is produced by David Barker and executive produced by Li-Cheng Huang, while Eunice Cheng associate produced for Machi Xcelsior Studios.
“It’s been such an enjoyably bizarre journey getting The Sadness made and distributed! I’m incredibly excited for everyone out there to finally see it!” said Rob Jabbaz.
The Sadness shocked audiences around the globe and was renowned for receiving trigger warnings from genre festival programmers who had never before felt the need to use such labels. Likened to as a return to transgressive ’90s Hong Kong Category III exploitation films by Fantasia Artistic Director Mitch Davis, Toronto-based sales and distribution company Raven Banner Entertainment represents the title worldwide and will release it in Canada, and said on the acquisition by Shudder:
“From the moment we first saw The Sadness, we knew this was something special. The film reaches heights rarely attained in the horror space. Rob Jabbaz is definitely a talent to watch,” said Raven Banner’s Managing Partner, Michael Paszt “Shudder is hands down the home for The Sadness and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them.”
The deal was negotiated by Raven Banner’s Michael Paszt and James Fler on behalf of the filmmakers, and Emily Gotto, VP, Global Acquisitions & Co-Productions on behalf of Shudder.
About Raven Banner Entertainment
Raven Banner Entertainment is a fully integrated company specializing in innovative and compelling genre films from around the world and is the parent company to Raven Banner Releasing, Northern Banner Releasing, and production arm, Hangar 18 Media. Recent releases include Steve Kostanki’s PG: Psycho Goreman, the Shudder hit Original, V/H/S/94, Keith Thomas’ TIFF Midnight Madness hit THE VIGIL and Danishka Esterhazy’s SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE. Some of the company’s successes have included Issa Lopez’s TIGER ARE NOT AFRAID, André Øvredal’s box-office success THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE, Emilio Portes’ BELZEBUTH, Gaspar Noe’s CLIMAX, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead’s SPRING, Don Coscarelli’s JOHN DIES AT THE END, the Oscar® nominated, EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT and the award-winning cult hit TURBO KID.
About Shudder
AMC Networks’ Shudder is a premium streaming video service, super-serving members with the best selection in genre entertainment, covering horror, thrillers and the supernatural. Shudder’s expanding library of film, TV series, and originals is available on most streaming devices in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.