Cornerstone has come on board to handle worldwide sales for Australian psychological horror “From Below.” Rising actress Alyla Browne, who played the young Furiosa in “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” and whose credits include “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” and “Sting,” has been cast in the lead role.
Cornerstone is launching sales at the American Film Market.
“From Below” is writer-director Sean Loch’s feature debut following his shorts “Rear View Mirror,” “Leech” and “Sleepwalker,” which earned him best director honors at the Short & Sweet Film Festival.
Production on “From Below” is slated to begin in Queensland, Australia next year, supported through Screen Queensland’s Screen Finance and Development funds.
Set against the backdrop of the Australian Outback, “From Below” tells the story of 15-year-old Riley (Browne) travelling across the Outback with her father when they come across two seemingly abandoned cars at an isolated desert crossing. When an invisible force drags her father away Riley finds herself in a life-or-death struggle against a terrifying creature that is only visible to its next victim.
The film is produced by Sam Price for Pathline Pictures, continuing her partnership with Loch that started on his shorts. Natalie Coleman, former head of investments at Head Gear, will executive produce together with Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder from Cornerstone.
The screenplay featured on the Black List, trending under “Top Horror Scripts” for six weeks. During the development process, Loch collaborated closely with filmmaker Joel Anderson, known for “Lake Mungo” and his work on “Late Night With the Devil.”
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Price commented: “Sean has delivered an exceptional screenplay that blends survival thriller, creature feature and Outback horror to push beyond the familiar tropes of the genre. Having Cornerstone on board is a real testament to that, with their sharp taste for identifying standout projects. Alyla Browne is perfect for the challenging lead role, and the unforgiving Outback of Birdsville, QLD, is the ideal backdrop for this story.”
Gooder said: “Sean is a hugely talented writer/director and we’re proud to be involved with his debut feature. Sean’s script is strikingly original, full of surprising twist and turns and infused with real tension.”
From Variety US