Netflix Outbids Major Studios to Acquire Lee Daniels’ Exorcism Thriller for $65 Million
Netflix Outbids Major Studios to Acquire Lee Daniels’ Exorcism Thriller for $65 Million
Director Lee Daniels‘ upcoming movie, a thriller that is being billed as a true horror story has been acquired by the streaming service Netflix.
According to Deadline, Netflix outbid several major studios to obtain the movie which will purportedly be based on actual events that took place in Indiana. The streaming company reportedly paid $65 million for the rights.
Daniels is slated to direct the film that will feature and reunite him with his Oscar-nominated The United States vs. Billie Holiday star Andra Day. Others who are already on board are actors Octavia Spencer, Rob Morgan, Caleb McLaughlin, Aunjanue Ellis, and Glenn Close.
The story is an exorcism thriller based on a true story. Day will be playing the role of a mother of a family in Indiana whose children are allegedly possessed by a demon. This is being produced by Daniels, Tucker Tooley, and Pam Williams. Production is scheduled to start by the middle of this year.
The movie focuses on a story that was covered in the media in 2014. Gary, IN resident Latoya Ammons and her three children encountered incidents in their home that drew the suspicion of demonic possession. The children were reportedly seen levitating, becoming violent with each other and were heard speaking in unknown deep voices and not remembering doing so. As people were skeptical of the family’s retelling of the events, local authorities became involved, including the Gary Police Department, Department of Child Services and members of the local church and hospital. Reports were filed after many witnesses had seen some of the occurrences the family had documented to authorities. One incident involved several officers, doctors and social workers saying they actually saw a 9-year-old boy walking backward up a wall.
At the time, The Indianapolis Star covered the incidents reported while the Department of Child Services investigated it.
Daniels will tell the story as a fictional thriller, similar to how The Amityville Horror, The Exorcist, The Conjuring and other comparable movies had been allegedly based on or inspired by actual events.
Netflix Outbids Major Studios to Acquire Lee Daniels’ Exorcism Thriller for $65 Million
