ROSARIO: High-Concept Horror Casts Emeraude Torba For June Production Start, Highland Launching Sales At Cannes
Photo credit: Desiree Yuzon
Emeraude Toubia (Freeform’s hit TV series “Shadowhunters,” Amazon’s “With Love”) will star in Rosario, a new high-concept horror film launching sales at the Cannes market out of Highland Film Group. Felipe Vargas will direct from a script by Alan Trezza (We Summon the Darkness).
Toubia will star in the titular role of Rosario, a successful stockbroker on Wall Street, who is forced to spend the night with the body of her estranged grandmother Griselda who has abruptly died. While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, a heavy snowstorm locks her inside the apartment, surrounded by unfriendly neighbors. As the night endlessly stretches on, twisted and menacing supernatural forces that have possessed Griselda’s corpse begin their assault on Rosario. Now the target of a deadly family curse that spans generations, in a desperate attempt to break the evil, Rosario must battle everything she knows about her past to save herself and her soul.
Jon Silk is producing for Silk Mass next to Javier Chapa and Phillip Braun for Mucho Mas Media which is also financing. Highland CEO Arianne Fraser and COO Delphine Perrier will exec produce along with Toubia, and with Bruce Barshop, Vincent Cordero and Simon Wise. Cameras are set to roll in Bogotá, Colombia and in New York City.
“Growing up on my grandmother’s campfire tales of witchcraft and the macabre, I’m thrilled to bring to life this terrifying story of an evil family curse,” said Vargas. “It’s an honor to film this rollercoaster ride of horror in my home country of Colombia alongside an extraordinary team. We can’t wait for the world to meet Rosario!”
“We’re excited for audiences to see Felipe’s vision for this come to life on the big screen,” said producers Silk, Chapa and Braun. “Felipe has tapped into the heart and pain that powers this incredible script, and with the winning charisma and complicated undertones that Emeraude brings to all of her performances, we’re confident audiences will fear for, and fall in love with, Rosario.”
“We are so pleased to be working with the rising actress Emeraude Toubia in this smart and chilling film in the vein of the Blumhouse movies. She will brilliantly portray the successful stockbroker who is forced to confront an unthinkable and otherworldly evil,” said Fraser.
“We are thrilled to team up for our second movie with producers Javier Chapa and Jon Silk. Set against the sleek backdrop of New York City, Rosario is a bold, intense and twisted horror film and we cannot wait for cameras to roll on this exciting project,” added Perrier.
Toubia, of Lebanese and Mexican descent, started her career starring in both youth and primetime telenovelas for various Latin American markets. She is represented by UTA, Vision Entertainment and Goodman Genow Schenkman.
Vargas, a DGA Award-winner for his breakout, viral horror short Milk Teeth, which launched him into projects at Paramount, Lionsgate, and Sony, will make his feature directorial debut on Rosario. He is repped by CAA and Magnolia Entertainment.
Highland’s sales slate also includes Joe Carnahan’s survival thriller Not Without Hope, Simon West’s action comedy Old Guy, the sci-fi thriller The Astronaut, Dimitri Logothetis’ actioner Gunner, Jenn Wexler’s sci-fi thriller Rachel, Adam Cooper’s crime thriller Sleeping Dogs, William Eubank’s Land of Bad, Audrey Cummings’ western Place of Bones, survival action-thriller Arcadian with Nicolas Cage and Rod Blackhurst’s Blood For Dust.
Native New Yorker. Lover of all things pizza, chocolate, pets, and good friends. Karaoke hero. Left of center. Survivor. Fond supporter of cult, obscure and independent cinema - especially fond of Asian movies and global action cinema. Author of the bi-weekly Hit List. Founder and editor of Film Combat Syndicate. Still, very much, only human.
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