Seven years after becoming defunct, Anchor Bay Entertainment has been revived by Umbrelic Entertainment with a new slate of genre films.
Umbrelic Entertainment co-founders Thomas Zambeck and Brian Katz announced the launch of its new distribution arm. The founders aim to curate a new library of films for distribution, projects that range from new release genre films, undiscovered treasures, cult classics, and remastered catalog releases.
Starz Inc, a subsidiary of Lionsgate, owned the original Anchor Bay Entertainment. It released films, shows, and specials on DVD and Blu-ray, including genre hits like Hellraiser, Halloween, and The Hills Have Eyes. Umbrelic has produced movies such as the Christina Ricci-starring Monstrous and the dark Simon Pegg comedy Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose.
Anchor Bay Entertainment Sails Again
“We had an opportunity to take the name of a beloved genre film brand, one we feel a personal connection to, for our new company,” says Zambeck. “This is a new venture, unaffiliated with any previous incarnations. We aim to honor the history and spirit of the past as we look for interesting films that break the mold, and will be discovered by new generations for years to come.”
The co-founders will be heading to the Berlin International Film Festival to acquire more films for Anchor Bay.
On the slate first for the new Anchor Bay? It will distribute the puppet-based horror movie Abruptio, which is enacted entirely with lifelike puppets in realistic settings, taking nearly eight years to complete from script to post-production. It’s set to release in Q2.
The story of Abruptio follows Les Hackel ( James Marsters), a guy down on his luck who wakes to find an explosive device has been implanted in his neck. He must carry out heinous crimes in order to stay alive while trying to identify the mastermind manipulating the now twisted and strange world around him. The film is enacted entirely using lifelike puppets.
Written and directed by Evan Marlowe (The Impact). The film stars James Marsters (House of Haunted Hill), Christopher McDonald (Thelma & Louise), Hana Mae Lee (Pitch Perfect Franchise), Jordan Peele (Get Out), Sid Haig (Halloween), Rich Fulcher (Wonka) and Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street Franchise).
The second is Michael Kallio’s Dinner With Leatherface, a documentary on the star of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Gunnar Hansen. It features interviews with horror stalwarts such as Bruce Campbell, Barbara Crampton, Betsy Baker, Brian O’Halloran, Kim Henkel, Danielle Harris, Linnea Quigley, Kane Hodder, and Debbie Rochon. The film also features all of the remaining cast of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the original Director of Photography, Daniel Pearl, and Producer/Co-Writer Kim Henkel.
Dinner With Leatherface is aiming for a Fall 2024 release.