Last year, Ben Leonberg made his feature directorial debut with a haunted house movie called Good Boy, which had the unique approach of being told from the dog’s perspective. JoBlo’s own Tyler Nichols gave Good Boy a 7/10 review that you can read HERE. Now, Deadline reports that Leonberg has set up his second feature, and he’s also taking a unique approach to this one: it’s a horror project called Follow Mode, and it’s going to be shot entirely with drones!
What is Follow Mode about?
Scripted by Leonberg and Alex Cannon, who also co-wrote Good Boy, Follow Mode has the following synopsis:
Consumer-grade drones now come with a “hands-free” setting that automatically directs the camera to follow you – in case you’re a surfer taking your next wave, a snowboarder back-flipping off a half-pipe, or a serial killer stalking your next victim. When a group of teens knock this drone out of the sky, they discover that it contains home movies of the killer’s brutal crimes. Now, they must race to expose the killer before becoming his next victims.
Smile and Twilight producer Temple Hill is backing this one, and Protagonist will be presenting the project to potential buyers at the Cannes market. Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, John Fischer, Hal Sadoff, and Ben Levine are producing the film for Temple Hill, with Protagonist Pictures’ Dave Bishop, James Pugh, and George Hamilton serving as executive producers.
What has been said about Follow Mode?
Dave Bishop, CEO of Protagonist Pictures, provided the following statement: “Temple Hill once again proves its instinct for fresh, audience-grabbing horror. Follow Mode is the kind of bold, high-concept horror that stops you in your tracks – propulsive, original and viscerally thrilling from its first frame to its last. In Good Boy, Ben proved he is a filmmaker both comfortable pushing boundaries and mastering tension. Shot entirely with drones, delivering a strikingly cinematic experience, Follow Mode offers a new perspective on terror audiences have simply never seen before. Ben has crafted a rare, diabolical treat that feels both groundbreaking and deeply unsettling.“
Leonberg had this to say: “The rise of hands-free drone technology has introduced a chilling new vulnerability to everyday life—anyone with a drone can become a peeping tom, a stalker, or worse… That anxiety drives Follow Mode. We’re so thrilled to be partnered with Temple Hill, whose track record in the genre makes them a perfect fit for this unsettling new take on found footage.“
Temple Hill added, “We were blown away by Ben’s first film Good Boy and its original approach to perspective in the horror space and sought him out to find something to do together. We see Follow Mode as the next evolution of the found footage movie – playing on the terrifying reality that any of us could be followed and watched by store-bought technology. With Ben’s tremendous vision and expertise in POV filmmaking, we couldn’t be more excited to share this spine-chilling project with audiences around the world.“
Are you glad to hear that Good Boy director Ben Leonberg has set up his next feature? What do you think of the fact that it will be shot entirely with drones? Share your thoughts on Follow Mode by leaving a comment below.
The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.
What’s Not Allowed