Amazon Studios Snags Horror Comedy/Festival Darling BOYZ IN THE WOOD
Amazon Studios has acquired worldwide rights to writer/director Ninian Doff’s feature film debut Boyz In The Wood exclusively for Amazon Prime Video. The film stars Eddie Izzard, Kate Dickie, Georgie Glen, James Cosmo and a dynamic young cast of discoveries featuring Samuel Bottomley, Viraj Juneja, Rian Gordon and Lewis Gribben. Boyz In The Wood world premiered to rave critical reviews as the opening Midnight Movie at SXSW this March, where it won the Midnighters Audience Award before kicking off the Edinburgh International Film Festival as the opening night gala presentation. The film most recently won the Siren Award for Best International Feature at the Lund International Fantastic Film Fest, the Just Film Grand Prix for Best Youth Film at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, and was nominated for the BIFA Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Feature. The film also played the Vancouver International Film Festival, /slash Filmfestival, SITGES-International Fantastic Film Festival, and will play Rotterdam in 2020, as it continues its festival run.
Set deep in the Scottish Highlands, Boyz In The Wood is an anarchic cocktail of generational politics, hip-hop loving farmers, and hallucinogenic rabbit shites. The film features tracks from rappers Danny Brown, Vince Staples, Run The Jewels, and original music from Scottish producer S-Type, to underscore a satirical Highlands-set storyline that’s being called “brash”, “bonkers”, and “a rousing late night movie for a new generation.” Critics across the globe have hailed the festival darling as “magnificently constructed from open to close”, calling Doff’s “impeccably written and assuredly directed” debut “a magnificent achievement” and a “90-minute masterpiece.”
Doff said, “This is genuinely a dream come true. Like all first films Boyz In The Wood was made with enormous passion and love by cast and crew (often in Scotland’s pouring rain) and it’s amazing to have Amazon bringing it to a global audience whom I hope will fall in love with our young cast and join the DJ Beatroot fan club the way we all did! I set out to make a film that you’d watch on a Friday night with your friends and laugh your ass off, but then wake up Saturday morning and decide to change the world. To have Amazon’s backing feels like what was once just a pipe dream suddenly became reality.”
“Filmmaker Ninian Doff is an extremely talented storyteller whose distinct and dynamic voice immediately draws you in. Boyz In The Wood is a hysterical and riotous story that takes the audience on a fun and entertaining journey of adolescence and growing up. We’re excited to continue working with the producers of Material Pictures after our success with them on the recent release of Brittany Runs a Marathon,” said Julie Rapaport, Co-Head of Movies at Amazon Studios.
Producers are Matthew Plouffe and Tobey Maguire of Material Pictures, Brian Coffey of Highland Midgie and Laura Tunstall of Nowhere. Executive Producers are Eddie Izzard, Richard Weinberg of Material, Tim Headington and Lia Buman of Tango Entertainment, Thomas Benski, Davud Karbassioun and Marisa Clifford of Pulse Films, and Mette-Marie Kongsved of Nowhere.
The deal was negotiated by Mark Ankner and Christine D’Souza Gelb of Endeavor Content and Evan Krauss of Eisner LLP on behalf of the film. Doff is represented by Mark Ross of Paradigm.
Doff is a writer/director from Scotland. Previously working in music videos and commercials he is the winner of Best Director at UKMVAs, D&AD pencil for Direction, Saatchi and Saatchi’s Cannes New Director’s Showcase, OneDotZero’s New British Talent for his videos for Run The Jewels, Miike Snow (“Genghis Khan”), Chemical Brothers and many others. His work has been screened in festivals worldwide and has had music video retrospectives in London Musicvidfest and Brazil Musicvidfest. His comedy short film “Cool Unicorn Bruv” has been shown in over 50 festivals worldwide and won both Jury and Audience award at DepicT! Brief Encounters Short Film Festival, and his short form work is represented by Pulse Films.
Are you excited to check out Boyz in the Wood on Amazon in 2020? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! You can also carry on the convo with me personally on Twitter @josh_millican.
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