Fantastic fest hit 'Strange Darling' hits theatres

Produced and cinematography by Giovanni Ribisi, the film is directed by JD Molnar.

Director JD Molnar's acclaimed horror film „Strange Darling” has landed a major US distribution deal at veteran producer Bob Yari's new company, Magenta Light Studios.

Premiering at genre event Fantastic Fest in 2023, the Miramax-produced thriller was universally praised for its inventive story structure and lead performances (currently 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with 14 reviews). Magenta Light is set for a wide release on August 23.

„We are thrilled to bring this unique and exceptional film starring Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner to theater audiences nationwide. This second feature from talented writer-director JD Molnar is destined to become a cult classic that defies conventional storytelling,” said Yari. Variety.

Fitzgerald (pictured above, from MTV's „Scream” and „Reacher”) and Gellner („Smile,” „Scream 6”) star in the cat-and-mouse thriller about a spontaneous hookup gone terribly wrong. Many reviews point out that the film works best with as little information as possible, leading to an interesting marketing campaign.

Molnar made his directorial debut with the 2016 Sundance hit “Outlaws and Angels,” starring Chad Michael Murray and Luke Wilson. Both his films are 35 mm. He is currently adapting the Steven King novel “The Long Walk” for Lionsgate, directed by Francis Lawrence (“The Hunger Games” series).

„Mollnar shows himself to be more forward-thinking than most of his peers. He is clearly a student of the game, one who has studied the lessons of his forebears with skill, better preparing himself to put his own mark on them. Variety wrote in his review of Fantastic Fest.

The film was produced by Emmy and Screen Actors Guild Award nominee Giovanni Ribisi, who also served as director of photography (his camera work on the film earned him a spot in Cameraimage's Cinematography Debut Contest). Former Miramax CEO Bill Black, Chris Evan Sevic, Steven Schneider and Roy Lee („Barbarian”) also served as producers.

Paradigm for Gellner, manager Nils Larsen of Integral Artists and attorney Stewart Brookman.