Cornerstone has acquired international sales rights to James Ashcroft’s horror feature When Darkness Loves Us and will handle sales and distribution, excluding New Zealand and Australia. The company will introduce the film to buyers at the upcoming Cannes Film Market.
The film stars Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones), Marlon Williams (Sweet Tooth), Victoria Pedretti (You), and Natascha McElhone (The Truman Show). Principal photography on the project recently wrapped in New Zealand. Producers are aiming for a U.S. release in 2027.
Based on Elizabeth Engstrom’s cult 1980s novella of the same name, When Darkness Loves Us is described as a “psychologically charged horror story.” The film follows a young woman (Clarke) who, after surviving 15 years trapped in an underground cave system, returns to the surface to reclaim the family she believes is hers.
Ashcroft (The Rule of Jenny Pen) co-wrote the screenplay with Hayley Sproull and Eli Kent. The film is produced by Desray Armstrong (Coming Home in the Dark). Executive producers include Ant Timpson, James Ashcroft, Emilia Clarke, Katherine Bridle, Bleecker Street’s Kent Sanderson and Tyler DiNapoli, and Umbrella Entertainment’s Ari Harrison and Jasmin McSweeney. Nicola Smith and Bleecker Street’s Miranda King serve as associate producers.
Cornerstone’s Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with our friends at Bleecker on James Ashcroft’s bold vision that elevates the genre, and with Emilia Clarke leading an exceptional cast, we believe this film will strongly resonate with international audiences.”
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