Vertical Entertainment and XYZ Films are partnering on the global release of the horror anthology film “Holidays,” which will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 14, the companies announced Monday.
Vertical and XYZ will coordinate a global day-and-date release, which will begin the next day on April 15 with worldwide digital and VOD platforms, followed by a targeted U.S. theatrical release on April 22. This will be one of the first global launches of a day-and-date independent film campaign following a festival world premiere.
Produced by John Hegeman’s Distant Corners Entertainment in association with XYZ Films, “Holidays” is an anthology feature film that puts a uniquely dark and original spin on some of the world’s most iconic and beloved holidays. The film challenges our folklore, traditions and assumptions, making “Holidays” a celebration of the horror on those same special days’ year after year.
A collaboration of some of Hollywood’s most distinct voices, the anthology’s directors include Kevin Smith (“Tusk”), Gary Shore (“Dracula Untold”), Scott Stewart (“Dark Skies”), Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer (“Starry Eyes”), Sarah Adina Smith (“The Midnight Swim”), Nicholas McCarthy (“The Pact”) Adam Egypt Mortimer (“Some Kind of Hate”) and Anthony Scott Burns (“Darknet”).
“This has been a project that we’ve been excited about since it was announced in production. With the expansive list of amazing filmmakers, their unique take on the horror anthology genre, and in addition to the recent Tribeca premiere announcement we found ourselves with an amazing opportunity to get involved on a global basis” said Rich Goldberg, co-president of Vertical. “We have an extremely tight window to get the film out to audiences in April, but we have a dedicated team here at Vertical as well as with our partners XYZ and Distant Corners, what I believe will be the first film available globally immediately after its festival premiere.”
“We’re targeting our core audience directly on a worldwide basis,” said XYZ. “It’s a new distribution model that fits this film perfectly. We’re lucky to have forward-thinking filmmakers and partners that are up for breaking the mold.”
“It’s so exciting to have Vertical be proactive and jump on board.” added “Holidays” producer John Hegeman. “I couldn’t think of better partners then them and XYZ to be taking advantage of this great opportunity. First the Tribeca acceptance, now this. This is fantastic.”
Vertical and XYZ previously announced their collaboration on the global release alongside Japanese studio Nikkatsu for the action film “Headshow,” which is currently in production in Indonesia with the Mo Brothers directing and “The Raid’s” Iko Uwais starring. They will also collaborate on the release of the Sundance hit “Under the Shadow,” the Farsi-language horror-thriller from director Babak Anvari.
Watch the “Holidays” trailers above and let us know your favorite holiday in the comments section below.