Award-winning writer/director Chloe Okuno will helm 'Watcher', an original spec by tyro screenwriter Zack Ford.
Image Nation Abu Dhabi has partnered with Spooky Pictures, the low-budget genre label formed by producers Roy Lee and Steven Schneider, to produce a psychological thriller Watcher.
The film is set in the midst of a citywide panic over an active serial killer. A young woman moves into a new apartment with her fiancé only to be tormented by the feeling that she is being stalked by an unseen watcher in an adjacent building.
Watcher is currently being cast in preparation for an April shoot and will be produced by Aaron Kaplan, Sean Perrone, Mason Novick, and John Finemore in addition to Lee and Schneider. Marc Bienstock, Derek Dauchy, and Stuart Manashil are Executive Producers of the film.
Commenting on the partnership, Chief Content Officer of Image Nation, Ben Ross, said: “We are pleased to announce our first production under our partnership with horror film heavyweights Roy Lee and Steven Schneider, and we are honoured to have an amazing talent such as Chloe Okuno on board to direct.
“This production and our ongoing partnership signify Image Nation’s continued journey into the international marketplace, and we are excited to create more dark genre titles with great potential for lucrative franchises.”
Schneider, who collaborated with Image Nation Abu Dhabi as Producer on dystopian Arab thriller The Worthy in 2016, remarked: “It’s fantastic to get back into production with Image Nation, a truly supportive partner. I look forward to working with Chloe Okuno, and to seeing what her incredible talent will bring to this great script.”
Lee added: “This is an exciting time for dark genre films, and we believe ‘Watcher’ has tremendous potential.”
