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“40 Acres” (2024) is set in a post-apocalyptic world, which may have seemed like a distant future in movies made until only a few years ago. Unlike them, R.T. Thorne’s film feels like a reality we will have to witness sooner or later. It’s a survival thriller with plenty of neatly designed action set pieces, but what makes it stand out is how urgent it all feels. On the surface, it is about people trying to survive despite the dire situations by defeating whatever or whoever comes in their way. However, Thorne approaches it with a finer understanding of their cultural roots, balancing its grit with an emotional warmth.

Thorne’s film centres around a family. Danielle Deadwyler plays Hailey Freeman, a strong-willed and level-headed matriarch, while Michael Greyeyes plays Galen, her compatriot to care for their unit. It’s just them and both their children living on a...

Stars: Danielle Deadwyler, Kataem O’Connor, Michael Greyeyes, Milcania Diaz-Rojas, Leenah Robinson, Jaeda LeBlanc, Haile Amare, Elizabeth Saunders, Tyrone Benskin | Written by R.T. Thorne, Glenn Taylor | Directed by R.T. Thorne

Danielle Deadwyler (Till) stars in post-apocalyptic survival thriller 40 Acres, the debut feature from director R.T. Thorne, who also co-wrote the script. As such, the film delivers in terms of gore-infused action, but the story could do with being a little less muddy.

Opening captions quickly bring us up to speed on the current state of the world – fifteen years ago, a fungal pandemic killed 90% of the world’s animal biosphere, which led to the collapse of the global food chain, which in turn leads to both widespread famine and civil war. As a result, farming families and communities are highly sought after, but they constantly find themselves under threat from marauding outsiders.

One such farming family are the Freemans,...

Echoes of generational trauma on Black and Indigenous peoples and the excellent Deadwyler as a farmer defending her family lift this above the schlocky

In the event of an apocalypse, the world will no doubt divide into two groups: people intent on survival no matter what, and those of us who take the view living will only prolong the suffering and get it over with. Hailey Freeman in 40 Acres is the former – it’s in the genes. Her great-great-grandfather was a slave who escaped a plantation and made his way to Canada to farm. Now the land is Hailey’s and helpfully she’s ex-military, which comes in handy fending off cannibalistic marauders in a post-apocalyptic hellscape. Even better, she’s played by Danielle Deadwyler, the actor inexplicably snubbed for an Oscar nomination for Till.

Set 14 years after a fungal pandemic wiped out the planet’s animal life, 40 Acres is essentially a home invasion thriller.

Bambi and Pete Davidson are featured in this week’s new horror movies, but unfortunately they’re not sharing the screen in the same movie. They’re joined by the at-home release of one of this year’s best horror movies so far, along with a new Gill Man movie from Shudder.

Here’s all the new horror that released from July 21 – July 27, 2025!

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

There’s a monster in the basement in Bait, now available on VOD.

In the new indie monster movie from Uncork’d Entertainment, “On their way to a family get-together, the Herring family are in a bad car accident, waking in a terrifying, dark basement. Something is there with them. And it craves human flesh.”

Bait was directed by Andrea M. Catinella, written by Sam Gurney.

The cast includes Ingrid Evans, Connor Powles, Andrew Rolfe, and Natalie Hughes.

One of the best action movies of the year unleashes intense new footage in this exclusive clip. While you may not have heard of the thriller, which drops audiences into a terrifyingly grounded post-apocalypse, you won’t soon forget it after both checking out the new footage and hearing what critics have to say. Mercifully, you’ll be able to check out the movie quickly, as it lands on PVOD on July 22.

Hailed as a “bold, no-holds-barred action-thriller" from debut filmmaker R.T. Thorne, and starring acclaimed actress Danielle Deadwyler, 40 Acres is set in a famine-decimated near future where a former soldier (Deadwyler) and her family struggle to safeguard their farm as they make one last stand against a vicious militia hell-bent on taking their land.

The clip teases the intensity to come when a stand-off ends in violence and death. In this new world, nobody knows who to trust, and...

The Toronto Film Festival has unveiled new star-driven Gala and Special Presentations titles, including Aziz Ansari’s Good Fortune, Maude Apatow’s Poetic License, Isabel Coixet’s Three Goodbyes, David Michod’s Christy, James Vanderbilt’s Nuremberg and Alice Winocour’s Couture.

Set for the buzzy red carpet at Roy Thomson Hall are world premieres for Bobby Farrelly’s road trip comedy Driver’s Ed, which stars Alyssa Milano, Kumail Nanjani and Molly Shannon; Russell Crowe’s Nazi thriller Nuremberg from director James Vanderbilt and Sony Pictures Classics, with the historical drama also starring Rami Malek, Michael Shannon and Leo Woodall; Succession actor Brian Cox bringing his directorial debut Glenrothan, where he stars alongside Alan Cumming and Shirley Henderson in a film about estranged brothers looking to save a family whisky distillery; and David Freyne’s romantic comedy Eternity for A24, which stars Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen and Callum Turner.

Magnolia Pictures’ post-apocalyptic thriller 40 Acres is officially set to make its digital streaming debut later this month. According to confirmed sources, the film will be available on VOD and digital platforms in the last week of July, following its limited theatrical release on July 2. After a celebrated world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival—where it earned a coveted spot on Canada’s Top Ten list—40 Acres is poised to make a powerful impression on home audiences.

What is 40 Acres About?

Marking the directorial debut of R. T. Thorne, 40 Acres is a tense, emotionally charged thriller set in a grim future where civilization has been decimated by plagues and war. The story follows the Freeman family, who live off-grid on a remote farm, thriving in the aftermath of collapse—so long as they can fend off frequent raiding parties.

Danielle Deadwyler stars as Hailey, a former soldier who,...

Vertigo Releasing has set a UK and Ireland theatrical roll-out for 40 Acres, the post-apocalyptic thriller headlined by Danielle Deadwyler, from 1 August. The film’s world premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival where it garnered strong acclaim, and now it lands in select cinemas ahead of a digital release on 4 August.

Set in a future ravaged by famine, 40 Acres follows Hailey Freeman (Deadwyler) and her kin, the last descendants of African American settlers who established a community in rural Canada in 1875 after the first Civil War. Resources grow scarce and hostile outsiders threaten to wrest their land. Freeman must marshal every ounce of resilience to defend the farmstead that has sheltered her family for generations.

Deadwyler’s performance anchors the film. The New York Times declared that “Deadwyler’s forceful energy fills the frame,” while Collider praised the story as a “thrillingly told apocalyptic tale,” and Variety lauded...

A gripping post-apocalyptic action thriller has now cemented itself as one of the best movies of the year. While Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s return to the raging zombie-infested world of 28 Years Later may have taken all the attention and headlines, a lesser-known genre outing has proven itself to be just as expertly put together as it combines action, horror, and contemporary themes to create something awe-inspiring. Which is now reflected in its near-perfect “certified fresh” score of 91% on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.

As well as cementing itself as one of the best action thrillers in years, Watchmen and Carry-On star Danielle Deadwyler continues to cement herself as one of the genre’s best action heroes, transforming into a mother who must fight to protect her family from mysterious post-apocalyptic savages.

Written and directed by R. T. Thorne in his feature film directorial debut, the movie is...

Hailey Freeman, the matriarch at the center of 40 Acres, can take care of herself. You know this even before you get the scoop on who this woman is, where she’s come from, and the people and the land she’s willing to risk life and limb to defend. But just for fun, here are some facts: Once upon a time, Freeman was a soldier for the U.S. military. Several generations ago, her great-great grandfather escaped a plantation in Georgia where he was enslaved and headed to the Canadian wilderness.

In a future where society has crumbled following decades of famine and disease, one black Canadian family defends their homestead against incursion by scavengers in R.T. Thorne’s invigorating debut feature, 40 Acres. Hailey Freeman (Danielle Deadwyler) has seen some shit. A former soldier, Hailey and the Freeman clan have managed to carve out a modest farm homestead in a world where food is scarce and fertile farmland is a precious commodity. Along with her partner First Nations Galen (Michael Greyeyes) and their children, the Freemans work the land, protect the land, and very deliberately cultivate their land and the routines required to maintain it in this precarious dystopia. There isn’t much of a society left to cling to in these dark days, and among those...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Cannibals and a beloved rock band hit the indie circuit for the long holiday weekend as Magnolia Pictures opens action thriller 40 Acres and This Is Spinal Tap returns for a special engagement from Bleecker Street and Fathom. A24 expands Eva Victor’s critically acclaimed directorial debut Sorry, Baby to 14 screens from 4.

Magnolia acquired 40 Acres out of TIFF this year where it was named one of Canada’s Top 10 films of the festival. It’s in 300+ theaters nationwide. The directorial debut of R.T Thorne set in a post-apocalyptic world chronicles a multi-racial Canadian farming family fighting to protect their piece of land from rabid cannibals. Star Danielle Deadwyler is the shoot-first matriarch of an angsty family put to the test when her son (Kataem O’Connor) makes a grave misstep that puts their collective in great danger. Thorne wrote the screenplay with Glenn Taylor and Lora Campbell. Also stars Michael Greyeyes and Milcania Diaz-Rojas.

In a future where land is the most valuable commodity, the Freemans adhere to a strict isolationist policy. The tight-knit family at the center of R.T. Thorne’s gripping debut 40 Acres does not explore areas outside of their farm, a sprawling tract of land in rural Canada demarcated by barbed wires, nor do they fraternize with other survivors in their dangerous post-apocalyptic world. Led by their resolute matriarch Hailey (Danielle Deadwyler, in typically fine form) and her partner Galen (Michael Greyeyes, also excellent), the Freeman children spend their days tending crops, undergoing rigorous combat training and learning about the traditions of their Black and Indigenous ancestors.

But their quiet existence becomes threatened after Emanuel (Kataem O’Connor), the eldest Freeman kid, makes contact with a young woman who desperately needs his family’s help.

Borrowing from a range of familiar sources, most notably the work of Octavia Butler, Thorne crafts a...

Magnolia Film’s post-apocalyptic thriller “40 Acres” has officially arrived for its theatrical debut and TheWrap is here to give you all the details on how to watch.

The action-thriller, directed by debut feature filmmaker R.T. Thorne, also stars Michael Greyeyes (“Firestarter”). The film premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), gaining widespread acclaim from its audience and film critics. It was listed as one of the festival’s Top 10 films from that year.

Earlier this year, Magnolia Films acquired the rights to the “40 Acres,” and set the film up for a summer release, which has now arrived. Here’s everything you need to know about when, where and how to watch.

When does “40 Acres” come out?

The film “40 Acres” comes out in theaters on Wednesday, July 2.

Is “40 Acres” in theaters?

Yes, “40 Acres” hits theaters on Wednesday, July 2. Check out the listings below for tickets.

“40 Acres” director and co-writer R.T. Thorne said his film, which centers on a Black family’s survival through a starved, post-apocalyptic world and their commitment to preserving their heritage, also serves as a reminder to communities of color that knowing your history is crucial, particularly amid political anti-dei agendas.

“It’s something that’s been instilled in me from my mother. One of the things she used to tell us all the time is that, ‘I don’t trust these institutions to teach you about you,’ so we have to learn our own history, and that’s been a big part of my journey,” Thorne told TheWrap. “I think the film is informed by history. It’s a film that takes place in the future, and I think that it’s a circular thing … In order to move forward, in order to survive, in order to thrive in the future,...

In a desolate landscape where the world as we know it has already collapsed, a family fights for survival and the preservation of their legacy. 40 Acres, the feature directorial debut of R.T. Thorne, co-written with Glenn Taylor, is an intense dystopian drama set in a future ravaged by war and famine.

Hailey Freeman (Danielle Deadwyler) is a former soldier who leads her family with an iron fist on an isolated farm in the middle of nowhere, constantly threatened by a militia that covets her precious land — rich in historical and personal symbolism. Alongside Deadwyler are Kataem O’Connor (Murdoch Mysteries), Michael Greyeyes (Wild Indian), Milcania Diaz-Rojas (The Bold Type), Leenah Robinson (1923), and Haile Amare.

40 Acres Review Danielle Deadwyler as Hailey in 40 Acres | © Magnolia Pictures Michael Greyeyes as Galen in 40 Acres | © Magnolia Pictures Kataem O’Connor as Emanuel and Milcania Diaz-Rojas as Dawn in 40 Acres | © Magnolia Pictures Danielle Deadwyler as Hailey in...

Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Greyeyes, Kataem O’Connor, Haile Amare, and Jaeda LeBlanc in ’40 Acres’ (Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)

40 Acres is an incredibly intense post-apocalyptic thriller set in a world transformed by a fungal pandemic followed by civil war and famine. The film plunges us into a new reality where fertile farmland has become the world’s most coveted resource. And yet, despite the bleak setting, 40 Acres is a profoundly moving story of hope and human resilience.

The film’s action is focused on the Freeman family, owners of a thriving farm that’s often the target of armed trespassers. The family, led by Hailey and Galen, has extensive arms training and quickly dispatches all intruders. Their weapons of choice: guns, knives, and hatchets.

The Freemans aren’t just survivors; they are formidable guardians of their flourishing cornfields. Scenes around the dining room table reveal their deep, ingrained commitment to their land and lineage.

A simple title screen introduces us to the world of 40 Acres. It explains that the global food supply has been decimated, society has crumbled, and farmland is now prized above all else. This is the first and last time R.T. Thorne’s feature-length directorial debut will pull back for such a big-picture view, narrowing its focus from that moment on to the survival story of a single family in rural Canada. It’s a choice that makes for a tight, tense thriller, and helps 40 Acres carve out a corner of its own in a genre landscape that doesn’t lack for dystopian visions.

The film begins with a gang of bandits closing in on a farmhouse. One of the gang’s members cheerfully announces himself and begins a “we were just passing through” spiel while the others sneak around the back, all of them with a glint in their eye,...

If you heard the buzz coming out of the Toronto International Film Festival last year about 40 Acres but haven't been able to track it down, you're finally in luck. The post-apocalyptic action thriller starring Carry-On's Danielle Deadwyler is set to hit theaters on July 2, and based on its 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, this is one you're not going to want to miss.

Now, admittedly, 40 Acres will only be receiving a limited theatrical release, so it might not be playing at a cinema near you, but you should still keep it on your radar for when it eventually makes its way to streaming. Called an "entertaining edge of your seat thriller" by critic Courtney Small, the Canadian film features an eclectic mix of Black and Indigenous actors, including Kataem O'Connor, Michael Greyeyes, and Jaeda LeBlanc (Gen V). Directed by R.T. Thorne – who's primarily made his name directing episodes of TV shows like Kung Fu,...

Acclaimed actress Danielle Deadwyler is back on the big screen this summer with the release of R.T. Thorne’s “40 Acres.” The critically praised 2024 TIFF premiere — a survival action-thriller set after a plague has destroyed animal life on Earth — doesn’t open nationally until July 2. But select audiences can see the movie for free on the upcoming Juneteenth holiday, June 19, courtesy of distributor Magnolia Pictures.

As IndieWire exclusively announces, Magnolia will partner with top radio stations, DJs, and affinity groups in select U.S. cities to bring the film directly to local communities in honor of the 160-year anniversary of the end of slavery in the United States. (Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021.)

Cities and partners include Atlanta, Ga (Majic 107.5/97.5), Birmingham, Al (Wbhk-fm 98.7 Kiss), Chicago, Il (Creative Cypher + Xl Fest), Dallas, TX (Juilliard Black Alumni Association – Jbaa), Houston, TX (Prairie View University Alumni), Los Angeles, CA (Radio Free 102.3 Kjlh), Nashville,...

Magnolia Pictures will be giving the post-apocalyptic thriller 40 Acres, starring Danielle Deadwyler of The Woman in the Yard and Carry-On, a theatrical release on July 2nd – and in anticipation of that release, we’re proud to share an Exclusive clip from the movie! You can check it out in the embed above.

40 Acres marks the feature directorial debut of R.T. Thorne, who also wrote the screenplay with Glenn Taylor from a story by Lora Campbell. The film has the following synopsis: After a plague eradicates all animal life, famine spreads across the globe leaving society at war and in ruins, but the Freemans are surviving — even thriving — on their ancestral farm so long as they dispatch the occasional raiding party. But what good is surviving the end of the world if it means snuffing out your own humanity? Former soldier Hailey made that choice years ago, believing that isolation was...

The BFFoundation (Bff), in collaboration with founding partner Walmart and presenting partner Coca-Cola, has today announced the full lineup for the 2025 Bentonville Film Festival (Bff), launching next month. As ever, the festival remains committed to building a slate around inclusion and authentic representation.

This year’s festival will showcase 28 feature competition films, including 9 world premieres, plus the newly-launched Homegrown Competition highlighting powerful stories from filmmakers based in or filming in Arkansas. Of this year’s competition slate, 66 percent of the films are from creators identifying as female or gender non-conforming; 51 percent identify as Bipoc, Asian, or Pacific Islander; 29 percent identify as Lgbtqia+; 18 percent are filmmakers over the age of 50; and 12 percent identify as a person with a disability.

The festival, which was founded by Geena Davis and backed by Wal-Mart, celebrated its tenth anniversary last year, a period that’s been marked by profound growth, both for the festival and...

Carry-On star Danielle Deadwyler is fighting for survival in a post-apocalyptic world in the first official trailer for 40 Acres, a new thriller from Magnolia Pictures.

Magnolia Pictures has released the first official trailer for 40 Acres, a new post-apocalyptic thriller starring Deadwyler as Hailey, a mother who is forced to teach her children how to fight and kill in an unforgiving world. In addition to Deadwyler, 40 Acres also stars Michael Greyeyes (Firestarter), Kataem O’Connor (Time Cut), Milcania Diaz-Rojas (Share), and Leenah Robinson (Monkey Beach). R.T. Thorne, best known for directing episodes of Kung Fu and The Lake, is making his feature directorial debut with 40 Acres. Thorne also co-wrote the script alongside Glenn Taylor. Check out the official trailer for 40 Acres below.

The official synopsis for 40 Acres reads: "After a series of plagues and wars leaves society in ruins, the Freemans are surviving — even thriving — on a farm in the middle of nowhere.

“40 Acres” is a new ‘survival thriller’ feature, directed by R.T. Thorne, starring Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Greyeyes, Kataem O'Connor and Milcania Diaz-Rojas, opening July 2, 2025 in theaters:

“…following a series of plagues and wars leaving society in ruins, the ‘Freeman’s’ are surviving and thriving on a farm in the middle of nowhere, as long as they repel the occasional raiding party.

“Former soldier ‘Hailey’ (Deadwyler) and her partner ‘Galen’ (Greyeyes) fled the collapse along with their children, training them to fight.

“But now Hailey’s eldest ‘Emanuel’ (O’Connor) is a young man, and when he meets a young woman (Diaz-Rojas) in the forest beyond the fence, his need for human contact could place the whole family in jeopardy…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Watchmen and Carry-On star Danielle Deadwyler transforms into your new favorite action hero as she fights to protect her family and her land in the first trailer for the new post-apocalyptic thriller, 40 Acres. The footage finds Deadwyler fighting and shooting her way through enemies as she battles to protect her family’s way of life in a society that has been ravaged by a series of plagues and wars. You can check out the first trailer for 40 Acres below.

Written and directed by R. T. Thorne in his feature film directorial debut, 40 Acres sees Danielle Deadwyler take the lead as the descendant of African American farmers who settled in rural Canada all the way back in 1875. Now, 200 years later, she must fight to defend what’s hers in a post-apocalyptic world full of villains trying to take it. Co-starring Kataem O'Connor, Jaeda LeBlanc, and Michael Greyeyes alongside Deadwyler, 40 Acres is...

"All that matters now... is how we react." Magnolia Pictures has unveiled an official trailer for an intense post-apocalyptic survival thriller called 40 Acres. The film marks the feature directorial debut of Canadian filmmaker R.T. Thorne, known for his many music videos previously. It premiered at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival last year and arrives to watch in the US in theaters starting in July this summer. Catch it on the big screen! After a series of plagues and wars leaves society in ruins, the Freemans are surviving — even thriving — on a farm in the middle of nowhere... so long as they repel the occasional raiding party. But what good is surviving the end of the world if it means snuffing out your own humanity? In a post-apocalyptic world with food scarcity, a Black family of Canadian farmers descended from American Civil War migrants defend their homestead against vicious cannibals trying to acquire their resources.

The Woman in the Yard and Carry-On star Danielle Deadwyler makes one last stand against a violent militia in the genre-bending action-thriller 40 Acres.

Magnolia Pictures will release 40 Acres in theaters nationwide on July 2, 2025.

Kataem O’Connor, Michael Greyeyes, and Milcania Diaz-Rojas also star.

In 40 Acres, “After a plague eradicates all animal life, famine spreads across the globe, leaving society at war and in ruins, but the Freemans are surviving — even thriving — on their ancestral farm so long as they dispatch the occasional raiding party. But what good is surviving the end of the world if it means snuffing out your own humanity? Former soldier Hailey (Deadwyler) made that choice years ago, believing that isolation was the only way to protect her family. She and her partner Galen (Greyeyes) fled the collapse along with their children, fenced them off from the world, and trained them to fight. But now Hailey’s eldest,...

Debut filmmaker R.T. Thorne is blasting onto the film scene with action-thriller “40 Acres” starring acclaimed actress Danielle Deadwyler.

Thorne directs the dystopian feature from a script he cowrote with Glenn Taylor. Lora Campbell also has a “Story by” credit on the project as well. “40 Acres” takes place in the near future after a plague kills all animals. Deadwyler plays a former soldier who tries to protect both her family and her inherited farm land from a cannibalistic militia.

The official synopsis reads: “As famine spreads across the globe, society is at war and in ruins. But the Freemans are surviving — even thriving — on their ancestral farm so long as they dispatch the occasional raiding party. But what good is surviving the end of the world if it means snuffing out your own humanity? Former soldier Hailey (Deadwyler) made that choice years ago, believing that isolation was the only way to protect her family.

Ryan Kampe’s Visit Films has licensed UK, Germany, Australia and Middle East rights on recent SXSW action thriller 40 Acres starring Danielle Deadwyler.

Vertigo Releasing will distribute in the UK, Weltkino in Germany, Rialto Distribution in Australia and New Zealand, and Falcon Films in the Middle East. Further territories are in negotiation.

Magnolia plans an early summer theatrical release in the US, and Mongrel Media will distribute in Canada.

R.T. Thorne directed the story of Hailey Freeman and her family, the last descendants of African American farmers who settled in rural Canada after the Civil War, as they struggle in...

Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar in ‘Drop,’ directed by Christopher Landon. (Photo Courtesy of Overlook Film Festival)

The 2025 Overlook Film Festival announced its first wave of films, with director Christopher Landon’s Drop starring Brandon Sklenar (1923) and Meghann Fahy (The Perfect Couple) set as the Opening Night film. This year’s popular horror film festival will take place April 3-6 in New Orleans and will include 47 films, live performances, interactive events, and special guests.

Attendees will also be treated to screenings of classic horror films including director Ernest Dickerson’s Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight and the 40th anniversary 4K restoration of Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator.

“No matter how many years this festival runs, every time we get to re-open the gates of our spectral summer camp feels like a miracle,” stated Landon Zakheim, co-founder and executive director of the Overlook FIlm Festival. “For all wayward souls and monster...

The Overlook Film Festival returns to “America’s most haunted city” from April 3 to 6. A cat on its ninth life, the annual event in New Orleans was founded almost a decade ago to celebrate scary movies and immersive horror experiences. This year, the festival lineup emphasizes tradition — honoring Shudder’s 10th birthday at its opening night party, programming a retro series with “Ash” director Flying Lotus, offering a conversation with genre literary legend Joe Hill, and more.

“I feel like we are standing at the crossroads of horror history,” said Michael Lerman, co-founder and director of film programming. “This year really showcases the old and new guard coming together. We have astounding debuts from exciting newcomers. We have veteran masters that keep reinventing themselves with new work. And we’re just getting started so stay tuned for more.”

From narrative films like “The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick...

The Overlook Film Festival has announced this morning their first wave of programming for the upcoming 2025 edition, taking place April 3 – April 6 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Get ready to descend on America’s most haunted city for interactive events, live performances, immersive programming and special guests.

The fest announces 47 films (25 features and 22 shorts) from 10 countries, as well as five live presentations and three immersive experiences, with many more exciting surprises to be announced as the festival approaches. Kicking off the festivities as the Opening Night film will be Universal Pictures’ upcoming thriller Drop from Blumhouse and Platinum Dunes. Following the screening, festival-goers and special guests will make their way to an unmissable party celebrating both the start of the festival and the tenth anniversary of Shudder, the iconic horror curation and streaming service. Hosted by Shudder, this one-of-a-kind event will kick off with a horror-infused second line and will include some very special guest performances.

Television titan Taylor Sheridan has undeniably become one of the most prominent and exciting talents on the small screen, with the Yellowstone creator, writer, director, and producer further capitalizing on the massive success of the streaming juggernaut by crafting captivating prequels and sequels revolving around the beloved Dutton clan. In 2022, Sheridan enlisted Hollywood greats Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren to star in his Western drama series 1923, a sequel to the original hit that focused on Jacob and Cara Dutton as they fight to keep their sprawling ranch afloat while being faced with countless threats of all shapes and sizes.

Featuring the additional talents of actors like Brandon Sklenar, Julia Schlaepfer, and Timothy Dalton, 1923 unsurprisingly proved to be a knockout with passionate audiences, with its debut episode attracting 7.4 million viewers and becoming Paramount+'s largest debut ever. 27-year-old Cole Brings Plenty appeared as sheepherder Pete Plenty Clouds in the first season of the acclaimed hit,...

1923 is back with Season 2, but fans are noticing that one character has been recast in the second season.

Pete Plenty Clouds, son of Hank Plenty Clouds (Michael Greyeyes), was originally played by Cole Brings Plenty in Season 1 of the Paramount+ TV show, and there was plenty of storyline left for the character in the upcoming season.

Sadly, there was a terrible tragedy ahead of filming.

Keep reading to find out more…

Cole Brings Plenty was found dead in Kansas at age 27 in April of 2024, months before filming Season 2.

His family reported him missing after he did not attend an appointment with his agent, and his body was discovered when police investigated an unoccupied vehicle.

He had been named as a suspect in a domestic violence case days earlier. Cole fled the scene before local police arrived, and there was footage of him leaving the city after the incident. The cause...

Magnolia Pictures has acquired the U.S. rights to the Toronto International Film Festival breakout film “40 Acres” starring Danielle Deadwyler.

The action-thriller, which comes from debut feature filmmaker R.T. Thorne, also stars Michael Greyeyes (“Firestarter”). The film premiered at TIFF in 2024, gaining wide applause from its audience and film critics. It was listed as one of the festival’s Top 10 films from that year.

The film also stars Kataem O’Connor, Leenah Robinson, Jaeda LeBlanc, Haile Amare, Elizabeth Saunders and Tyrone Benskin. In March, “40 Acres” will make its U.S. premiere at the South by Southwest film festival, which will be followed by a summer theatrical release.

“Writer-director R.T. Thorne has delivered an incredible, intense vision of a world on edge,” Magnolia Pictures co-CEOs Eamonn Bowles and Dori Begley said in a Thursday statement. “Danielle Deadwyler’s towering performance as a total badass is one for the ages.

Magnolia Pictures had acquired US rights from Visit Films to TIFF action thriller 40 Acres starring Danielle Deadwyler of The Piano Lesson and Till.

R.T. Thorne directed the story a young man in a post-plague world that has eradicated animals whose encounter with a young woman threatens his tough survivor family’s way of life. Michael Greyeyes, Kataem O’Connor, and Milcania Diaz-Rojas star.

40 Acres is a A Hungry Eyes Media Production with 4T Productions Inc. in association with Fela and Backhome. Thorne and Glenn Taylor co-wrote the screenplay, and Jennifer Holness produced, with Taj Critchlow, Thorne, Deadwyler, Sudz Sutherland, John Lang,...

Exclusive: Magnolia Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to 40 Acres, an action-thriller starring Danielle Deadwyler (Till) and Michael Greyeyes (True Detective), from world sales company Visit Films. Hailing from debut filmmaker R.T. Thorne, who wrote the script with Glenn Taylor, the film will be released in theaters in early summer.

World premiering at TIFF, where it was named one of Canada’s Top 10 films of the 2024 festival, 40 Acres is set in a world where a plague has eradicated all animal life and famine has spread across the globe, leaving society at war and in ruins, but the Freemans are surviving — even thriving — on their ancestral farm, so long as they dispatch the occasional raiding party. But what good is surviving the end of the world if it means snuffing out your own humanity? Former soldier Hailey (Deadwyler) made that choice years ago, believing that isolation was the only way to protect her family.

SXSW announced the rest of its 2025 film and television lineup on Wednesday, including the world premiere of Jillian Bell's directorial debut Summer Of '69. It was also announced that the festival will feature the U.S. premiere of On Swift Horses, directed by Daniel Minahan. The film stars Jacob Elordi...

Exclusive: Michael Greyeyes (Rutherford Falls), Carmen Moore (The Flash), Alex Rice (Twilight Saga) and Michelle Thrush (Blackstone) are leading Birth Of A Family, the scripted feature debut of Tasha Hubbard, adapted from her 2017 Hot Docs project of the same name.

Experimental Forest Films and January Media are behind the Canadian production which has recently wrapped after shooting on location in Golden, British Columbia, Banff, Alberta and Calgary, Alberta over 21 days. Pic was co-written by Emil Sher alongside Hubbard.

The film tells the story of four Cree siblings, Connie, Marianne, Gwen, and Anthony, separated as babies through Canada’s notorious Sixties Scoop, which saw indigenous children taken from their homes to be adopted by white families. Excited and curious, but also scared and afraid of rejection, they agree to meet for the first time over a holiday weekend in the mountains of Banff.

Pic is produced by Tyler Hagan of Experimental...

“40 Acres” is a groundbreaking post-apocalyptic movie that breaks the rules of the genre. It takes place in a world that has been destroyed by disaster. The movie takes place 14 years after a terrible fungal pandemic killed off almost all animals. It shows a harsh world where property is worth more than gold, and strength alone isn’t enough to survive.

Hailey Freeman, a former soldier played by the electric Danielle Deadwyler, is central to this intense story. She is in charge of a strong family on a 40-acre farm that has been in her family since the war. Along with her Indigenous partner Galen (Michael Greyeyes) and their children, Hailey has turned their farm into a carefully guarded haven in a world that is about to fall apart.

In his first full-length movie, director R.T. Thorne creates a unique vision far beyond normal post-apocalyptic tropes. This is not just...

After bringing the vampire Damon Salvatore to life in the hit TV show The Vampire Diaries, actor Ian Somerhalder went on to star in one season of the Netflix vampire series V Wars. The short-lived series marked his final acting role, as Somerhalder retired after its cancelation to focus on other endeavors.

While at the Environmental Media Association Awards Gala in October, Somerhalder spoke with People about the life he lives now with wife Nikki Reed, who also appeared in V Wars. Somerhalder reaffirmed that he has no plans at this time to revisit his acting career, feeling like it's more than likely "in the rearview mirror" of his life. However, the former actor also teased that he'd gotten the rights back for V Wars, hinting that there could be a potential continuation that he'd be a part of. The biggest problem, as Somerhalder also explained, is that his life...

Stephen King is one of the most prolific writers of our time and the second author with many film and television adaptations of his novels, after William Shakespeare. With many titles under his belt, some of his most popular work has been adapted not just once.

On Nov. 12, the 2022 Firestarter will be heading to Peacock. The movie adapts the 1980 sci-fi horror thriller, and it's a remake of the 1984 film starring a young Drew Barrymore. It follows a girl, Charlie, who has the ability of pyrokinesis, and she is on the run from an organization trying to use her power for its own interest. The new adaptation had many famous names, including Zac Efron as the girl's father, but it was not successful.

Related Acclaimed Time Travel Thriller Series Based on Stephen King Story Gets Free Streaming Home

Praised by critics and audiences upon its original release on Hulu, the acclaimed...

Netflix and creator Kurt Sutter have parted ways on the streamer’s western The Abandons.

Sutter, who created the drama and was serving as showrunner, left the show over creative differences with Netflix. The Abandons, set in the Oregon Territory in the 1850s, has a few weeks of production on its season remaining and will continue filming in Calgary, Alberta.

Netflix declined comment.

Netflix gave a straight-to-series order to The Abandons in October 2022. The series, which stars Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson, centers on a group of outlier families in 1850s Oregon who come together to fight a corrupt, wealthy power that wants to force them off their land. The cast also includes Nick Robinson, Diana Silvers, Lamar Johnson, Natalia del Riego, Lucas Till, Aisling Franciosi, Toby Hemingway, Michael Greyeyes, Ryan Hurst, Katelyn Wells, Clayton Cardenas, Elle-Maija Tailfeathers, Brían F. O’Byrne, Marc Menchaca, Patton Oswalt, Michael Ornstein, Jonathan Koensgen, Jack Doolan,...

Deadline reports that Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter has exited The Abandons just three weeks before production on the first season of the Netflix series was slated to wrap. As always, the reason apparently comes down to those dreaded creative differences.

The report states that Netflix was concerned when the initial cut of the first episode came in at 1 hour and 40 minutes. It proved impossible to trim the episode down to an hour, so they decided it should be split into two. This required some additional scenes to create a cliffhanger for the new premiere, which have reportedly been written but not shot. After viewing the unfinished split episodes and part of the third, Netflix felt they “looked a bit disjointed and not propulsive enough.” A meeting between Netflix execs and Sutter to address the concerns didn’t take place before he departed.

Beyond going over budget and some alleged “friction with top talent,...

Kurt Sutter has departed his Netflix series The Abandons just three weeks before the Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson-led Western is set to wrap, according to a Thursday report from our sister site Deadline.

Sutter, who created the series, was also serving as executive producer and showrunner. The Abandons executive producer/director Otto Bathurst and co-ep Rob Askins will be overseeing the remainder of production, which will continue as scheduled.

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Exclusive: This is a shocker — Kurt Sutter is out of the Netflix series The Abandons just three weeks before the sprawling Western starring Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson is slated to wrap production in Calgary. Sutter was the executive producer/showrunner on the series, which he also created.

The Abandons executive producer/director Otto Bathurst and co-exec producer Rob Askins will oversee the rest of filming — including reshoots, which will continue as scheduled with no new showrunner named. (Sutter and Bathurst are pictured in the above cast photo taken at the start of production in May.) The Abandons is about six episodes into its seven-episode shoot, I hear. Reps for Netflix and Sutter declined comment.

The departure is believed to stem from creative differences over the direction of the big-scale production as it is wrapping filming and headed into post. I hear an alarm went off at Netflix when the...

40 Acres starts at the Freeman farm. An assault on the farm and its occupants is about to occur, but a small, mighty group manages to stop the assailants and ensure they never return. Here, we meet Hailey (Danielle Deadwyler), a former soldier who has trained her family, which comprises her partner Galen (Michael Greyeyes) and their four children, the oldest of whom is her son Emmanuel (Kateem O'Connor). The Freemans hold firm to their values, protecting their land, training to survive, and never forgetting their respective history as a blended Black and Indigenous family.

40 Acres

Director R.T. ThorneRelease Date September 6, 2024Writers R.T. ThorneCast Tyson Kirk, Patrick Kerton, David Chinchilla, Julian Lewis, Ava Weiss, Jaeda LeBlanc, Leenah Robinson, Milcania Diaz-Rojas, Kataem O'Connor, David MacInnis, Elizabeth Saunders, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael GreyeyesGenres Drama, Thriller, History

The film by writer-director R.T. Thorne takes place in the near future, when the decimation of...

For as long as Danielle Deadwyler has had to wait to take the lead in an action film like “40 Acres,” it takes far less time for the “Till” star to demonstrate the full range of her strengths. Given the kind of introduction usually reserved for the likes of Clint Eastwood or Bruce Willis as a camera runs up her back, only to reveal her face after plunging a knife into an intruder on her property, it just hits differently when a Black woman is presented with such power, and though R.T. Thorne’s dynamic siege thriller has some familiar moves, it is full of fresh ideas.

Set in a dystopian future where the animal population has been wiped out 14 years earlier because of a fungal pandemic, “40 Acres” shows a new world order: Farmers who can produce their own crops hold their own while others shuffle along for survival...

The thriller film “40 Acres” will make its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. The movie tells the story of a family struggling to survive in a post-collapse society and protect their farmland. Director R.T. Thorne started developing the idea six years ago but the Covid-19 pandemic also influenced his vision.

The movie stars Danielle Deadwyler as Hailey Freeman, a former soldier who now protects her rural home with her partner, played by Michael Greyeyes. Hailey’s eldest son, portrayed by Kataem O’Connor, wants a different life, causing tension. Set in Northern Ontario, the Freeman family defends their 40 acres of land from an organized militia aiming to take it over.

Thorne says the story explores important themes like land ownership during crises and the divide between generations. He wanted to show how parents prepare kids for hard times ahead. A key plot focuses on Hailey advocating...

There is a good chance that if Danielle Deadwyler was actually faced with an apocalypse, she’d be able to navigate the chaos of it all with the same poise that she does in “40 Acres.”

At least, her latest resolute-yet-vulnerable performance certainly makes the case for it. Alongside the great Michael Greyeyes, she gives this post-apocalyptic family drama a sense of gravity just as she is able to leap into action when bloody battles ensue.

Though Deadwyler has already gained acclaim for her work on everything from “Till” to this year’s “The Piano Lesson,” “40 Acres” lets her flex other genre muscles while never missing a step in her acting. Even as she’s been outstanding in the series “Station Eleven,” which was also about the end of the world, this newest project is more confined while still having plenty to chew on about civilization’s collapse.

Specifically,...