Lionsgate picks up Cooties out of Sundance

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

With a plethora of badass horror flicks currently balls deep in the Sundance Film Festival, we are going to start seeing a lot of them get snatched up by distributors in the coming days. The first big acquisition news on tap right now is that Lionsgate is nearing a deal to acquire North American distribution rights to COOTIES, the horror-comedy starring Elijah Wood that premiered Saturday at Sundance’s Park City at Midnight sidebar, reports THR. COOTIES sounds like a entertaining little twist on the zombie genre which should be a lot of fun, especially with Elijah Wood leading the way.

COOTIES will mark the debut feature of Wood and his SpectreVision production banner, which he runs with Daniel Noah and Josh Waller. It also sees the feature debut of directing tandem Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion who will direct from a script penned by Leigh Whannell and Ian Brennan.

COOTIES begins when a mysterious virus hits an isolated elementary school, transforming the pre-adolescent children into a feral swarm of mindless savages. An unlikely hero must lead a motley band of teachers in the fight of their lives against the monstrous pupils.

Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, Alison Pill, Jack McBrayer, Leigh Whannell, Nasim Pedrad all star.