[News] Shudder Acquires The Boy Behind the Door for a July Release!

The Boy Behind the Door premiered at Fantastic Fest 2020 to rave reviews, including here at Gayly Dreadful where I called it, “a surprising debut that promises a huge career in horror for Justin Powell and David Charbonier.” After its premiere, I didn’t hear anything else about the film until today.

Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, has acquired the exclusive rights to The Boy Behind the Door for release in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand on Thursday, July 29. The first feature from co-writers and directors Justin Powell and David Charbonier, the suspense thriller tells a gripping, powerful tale of survival and friendship in the face of evil.

In The Boy Behind the Door, a night of unimaginable terror awaits twelve-year-old Bobby (Lonnie Chavis) and his best friend, Kevin (Ezra Dewey), when they are abducted on their way home from school. Managing to escape his confines, Bobby navigates the dark halls, praying his presence goes unnoticed as he avoids his captor at every turn. Even worse is the arrival of another stranger, whose mysterious arrangement with the kidnapper may spell certain doom for Kevin. With no means of calling for help and miles of dark country in every direction, Bobby embarks on a rescue mission, determined to get himself and Kevin out alive… or die trying.

Said Craig Engler, general manager of Shudder, “From its first frame, The Boy Behind the Door ratchets up the tension in a way that seems to never let up. Justin and David have tapped into what true evil lurking around in our world today looks like, and I can think of no better place for audiences to experience this unrelenting thrill ride than Shudder.”

“We are excited to partner with Shudder, the leading voice in the horror space, for the release of The Boy Behind the Door,” said filmmakers David Charbonier and Justin Powell. “It’s not every day we get to see stories centered on such strong, diverse leads, which Lonnie and Ezra masterfully craft with honest and authentic performances. We hope audiences worldwide will have as much fun watching the film as we did making it.”

In addition to Chavis (This Is Us, White Famous), and Dewey (The Djinn, Criminal Minds), the film also stars Kristin Bauer van Straten (True Blood, Nocturnal Animals), Scott Michael Foster (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Once Upon A Time) and Micah Hauptman (Homeland, Rust Creek).

Powell and Charbonier’s follow-up project The Djinn will be released by AMC Networks’ IFC Midnight in North America on May 14.