Though Blumhouse Productions has creatively branched out in recent years with Oscar nominee Whiplash and steamy thriller The Boy Next Door, the studio is still far better known for its micro-budget horror affairs, like Paranormal Activity, Insidious and Sinister. And by the looks of it, Blumhouse has another major hit on its hands this summer, with the wide release of a tiny horror pic called The Gallows.
Lacking an established director or any palpable star power (unlike the studio’s recent disappointment The Lazarus Effect), the pic is flying way under the radar in a summer season packed with trailer-happy blockbusters. And that may be what ensures its success.
Word-of-mouth is what could really send The Gallows soaring into the stratosphere, and based on the terrifying first teaser for the high school-set horror, it’s going to build up quite a lot in the weeks leading up to its release. Only a few of the rave reviews that the film has attracted made it into the trailer, but some are already calling this the next Paranormal Activity. Though it is found-footage – a genre that Blumhouse head honcho Jason Blum admitted has been showing its age at WonderCon – writers and directors Chris Lofing and Travis Cluff have reportedly found a way to make the format both organic and horrifying. If that’s the case, audiences are in for one freaky treat.
Here’s the synopsis:
Twenty years after an accident caused the death of the lead actor during a high school play, students at the same small town school resurrect the failed stage production in a misguided attempt to honor the anniversary of the tragedy — but ultimately find out that some things are better left alone.
The Gallows will swing into theaters on July 10th.