Following a successful world premiere at London’s FrightFest, Dark Sky Films today announced it has acquired North American distribution rights to HERD, an action-driven horror film and the directorial debut from Steven Pierce, co-written by Pierce and James Allerdyce. HERD stars Ellen Adair (Trick, Cryptid), Mitzi Akaha (Bashira), Jeremy Holm (The Ranger, Brooklyn 45, Black Mold), Amanda Fuller (Starry Eyes, All the Creatures Were Stirring) among others. The film, which premiered on IMAX at Cineworld to a sold-out crowd in Leicester Square, London, will be released in theaters and on VOD in October 2023. Release art, trailer and official release date information to follow.
The distribution arrangement was negotiated by Greg Newman, Executive Vice President of Dark Sky Films, and Bill Straus of Bridge Independent.
HERD tells the story of a woman trying to outrun a past complicated by an abusive father. When she and her wife end up trapped between a zombie outbreak and warring militia groups in her hometown, she is forced to fight for both love and survival.
Additional cast in HERD includes Dana Snyder (Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm), Corbin Bernsen (The Dentist, Tales From the Hood), & Timothy V. Murphy (Tragedy Girls). The film is produced by Pierce, Allerdyce, Matt Mundy, Lori Kay & Bret Carr on behalf of Framework Productions, with cinematography by Brennan Full, production design by Michael David, and costume design by Lauren Lau, with a score by Alexander Arntzen.
Dark Sky Films EVP Greg Newman said, “Steven Pierce has crafted a film that brilliantly ratchets up the tension and puts a fresh spin on the zombie outbreak subgenre. We’re thrilled to be releasing HERD under the Dark Sky Films banner this fall.”
Director Steven Pierce said, “Dark Sky has been a strong player in the cultivating some of the most unique horror films available for some time and I am so pleased that HERD will be taking a place alongside their awesome lineup of titles.”
Official Synopsis:
Jamie and her wife, Alex, try to save their failing marriage by taking an isolated canoe trip in rural Missouri. After Alex breaks her leg, the women find themselves trapped in Jamie’s small hometown overrun by virus-infected ‘Heps’. Worse, Alex gets scratched by one of the afflicted. After witnessing personal and gruesome horrors, she attempts to sneak away with Alex, only to be betrayed by one of her only connections. Now caught between the group that saved her, a competing militia, and the growing ‘Hep’ threat, is there any chance she can save Alex and finally escape?
