The zombie genre resides comfortably under the umbrella of horror that it is rarely explored through different means. Then, you have films like Maggie, which stars Arnold Schwarzenegger in a rare dramatic turn, that features the concept in a different light. Prepare for the emotion and despair of seeing your loved ones return in an unnatural manner in the trailer for the Norway horror drama Handling the Undead. The film is based on the novel Hanteringen av odöda from the Let the Right One In author, John Ajvide Lindqvist. The new haunting trailer was just released by Neon.
The official synopsis from Neon reads,
“On a hot summer day in Oslo, the dead mysteriously awaken, and three families are thrown into chaos when their deceased loved ones come back to them. Who are they, and what do they want? A family is faced with the mother’s reawakening before they have even mourned her death after a car accident; an elderly woman gets the love of her life back the same day she has buried her; a grandfather rescues his grandchild from the gravesite in a desperate attempt to get his daughter out of her depression. Handling the Undead is a drama with elements of horror about three families, a story about grief and loss, but also about hope and understanding of what we can’t comprehend or control.”
The screenplay is written by John Ajvide Lindqvist, in cooperation with director Thea Hvistendahl. Lindqvist is the award-winning writer who is also the mind behind Let the Right One In and Border (Cannes, Un Certain Regard Award, 2018). Handling the Undead is Thea Hvistendahls directorial debut.
Talents include Cannes-winning actress Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Bjørn Sundquist, Bente Børsum, Bahar Pars, Olga Damani, Kian Hansen og Inesa Dauksta. The film is produced by Einar Film in collaboration with Swedish Zentropa, Nordisk Film and Filmiki, Greece. It is distributed in the Nordic region by Nordisk Film, and international sales is handled by TrustNordisk. The film is supported by several national and regional funds including both Norwegian and Swedish Film Institute, Nordisk Film & TV Fund and Film I Väst. Neon has secured the North American and UK rights. The total budget is 4.5 million.
HANDLING THE UNDEAD opens exclusively at the IFC center in New York on May 31st, expands on June 7th in select cities including Los Angeles.
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