Australian genre filmmaker Kiah Roache-Turner is set to direct the upcoming horror film “Don’t Look,” Yahoo reported. The production reunites him with fast-rising star Alyla Browne.
Cornerstone is selling the feature at the American Film Market. The project was previously titled “From Below” and was originally intended as the directorial debut of writer Sean Loch.
Scheduling issues prompted Roache-Turner to take over directing duties. He is currently in post-production on the World War I action-horror movie “Lady Death.”
“Don’t Look” is described as a fresh take on road movie horror. The true source of fear remains elusive and unseen during the narrative.
Roache-Turner told Variety that the film is “scary as all hell” with scenes that are “going to traumatise people very deeply.”
The story is set against the backdrop of the Australian outback. It follows 15-year-old Riley, played by Browne, traveling across the outback with her father.
The pair encounters two seemingly abandoned cars at an isolated desert crossing. An invisible force then drags her father away, forcing Riley into a life-or-death struggle.
She faces a terrifying creature that is only visible to its next victim. The script was developed with filmmaker Joel Anderson.
Loch’s original screenplay was featured on The Black List. It trended under “Top Horror Scripts” for six weeks.
Alyla Browne previously starred in Roache-Turner’s spider horror film “Sting.” Her other credits include “Furiosa,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” and “Nine Perfect Surrounding.”
She will appear alongside George Pullar from “Evil Dead Burn,” Masha Basman from “Bay of Fires,” and Stephen Peacocke from “Me Before You.”
Producers on the project include Blake Northfield and Sam Price. Northfield previously worked on “Lady Death” and “Beast of War.”
Price has credits on “Rear View Mirror” and “Leech.” Roache-Turner stated to Variety that the script was one of the best he has ever read.
He praised the layered and fertile character work. He also noted the emotional setups pay off cleverly in the final act.
Roache-Turner described the central creature as truly original and terrifying in a way he has never seen in a monster movie before. He decided to change his entire visual style to accommodate the narrative.
Who originally wrote the screenplay for Don’t Look?
Sean Loch wrote the original script, which spent six weeks trending under “Top Horror Scripts” on The Black List.
Who are the main producers attached to the film?
Blake Northfield and Sam Price serve as producers on the project.
Which actors star alongside Alyla Browne in the cast?
The cast includes George Pullar, Masha Basman, and Stephen Peacocke.
Where is the film being sold to international buyers?
Cornerstone is handling sales for the feature at the American Film Market.
Roache-Turner told Variety he is a big fan of the road movie horror genre. He specifically cited films like “Wolf Creek,” “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “The Hitcher,” and “Jeepers Creepers.”
He noted that Browne turned 17 halfway through filming another collaboration titled “Chiquita.” He praised her professional acting skills even when she was 12 years old on the set of “Sting.”
The director pointed out that her character in “Don’t Look” is darker and deeper than anything they have done together previously. Production continues to draw attention at the market due to its unique creature concept and outback setting.
Worth a look