Netflix isn't afraid to spend some money acquiring films and original projects for their streaming service. A while back they dropped $3 million to buy Max Landis's BRIGHT script, and now word has come out that they have purchased the streaming rights to David Bruckner's horror film THE RITUAL for $4.75 million.
Written by Joe Barton, THE RITUAL is based on a novel by Adam Nevill that told the story of
four friends from college who head off into the Scandinavian wild in an effort to get away from it all and reconnect with each other. But what begins as a trip of bonding and friendship turns into a nightmare when they take a shortcut and end up lost. Some of them are injured and they seem stranded with nothing but forest in every direction. While trying to find their way back to civilization, they come across what seems to be an abandoned cottage. Inside they discover ancient artifacts on the wall and bones scattered on the floor in a sacrificial manner. They soon discover that something is stalking them and is intent on keeping them from leaving the woods.
The film stars Rafe Spall, Robert James-Collier, Arsher Ali, and Sam Troughton.
THE RITUAL made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival back on September 8th and quickly became the subject of a bidding war between several potentials buyers, including Netflix, Lionsgate, Annapurna, IFC and Saban Films. Netflix won. The service has acquired worldwide streaming rights to the film, except their deal does not cover the UK.
This is Bruckner's first full feature film; he has previously directed segments of THE SIGNAL, V/H/S, and SOUTHBOUND. He was attached to direct a new FRIDAY THE 13TH film for a while and developed a decent script with Nick Antosca, but that fell apart and he moved on to THE RITUAL. It looks like that move is working out pretty well for him.
Netflix has not yet announced when they will be releasing THE RITUAL. We'll let you know when that information is available.
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