Acquisition news: American Mary and Hayride get nabbed

Last Updated on July 23, 2021

Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada has picked up the Canadian distribution rights to writers/directors Jen and Sylvia Soska’s AMERICAN MARY, the thriller/horror pic from Vancouver producer IndustryWorks Pictures. Flick has been a hit on the festival circuit, gathering some very positive reviews.

American Mary is the story of a medical student named Mary who is growing increasingly broke and disenchanted with medical school and the established doctors she once idolized. The allure of easy money sends a desperate Mary through the messy world of underground surgeries which leaves more marks on her than the so-called freakish clientele.

The Anchor Bay deal follows Universal Pictures International picking up AMERICAN MARY for distribution in the U.K., Germany, Austria and Switzerland. A deal for US distribution is reportedly in the works.

Meanwhile, Acort International has just secured the recently completed horror film HAYRIDE for world-wide distribution. Distribution plans are currently in consideration and will include a North American DVD release, cable/satellite/internet VOD run, and a limited theatrical as well as being showcased at this year’s 2012 American Film Market.

Directed by Terron R. Parsons, HAYRIDE follows a college student returning home for Halloween who is forced to face his childhood fears when an escaped killer takes refuge in his family’s Haunted Hayride attraction. The phrase coined for the film, which has also become its tagline, is “Southern Fried Horror”.

We’ll give you specific dates on these releases as we receive them.

AMERICAN MARY star Katherine Isabelle