Southbound director and V/H/S helmer David Bruckner’s latest, The Ritual, is readying for the European Film Market this month and with it, actor Rafe Spall (The BFG) set to star. BAFTA nominated Humans scribe Joe Barton’s script hails from Adam Nevill’s acclaimed novel, telling of four old university friends hiking the Scandanavian wilderness following the death of their best friend, only to find themselves confronting a supernatural entity of Norse legend.
Marking Nevill’s third novel since 2004’s “Banquet For The Damned”, Pan McMillian published The Ritual in the UK in 2011 prior to St. Martin’s Griffin’s U.S. publication the following year when it won the August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel. eOne is producing and fully financing the new horror thriller for which it will look to secure a U.S. partner during the European Film Market where Sierra/Affinity will debut the package on the world stage before buyers.
Jonathan Cavendish and Richard Holmes are producing the film with Will Tennant overseeing for The Imaginarium Studios. Tennant also joins as executive producer next to Andy Serkis and Xavier Marchand, who also oversaw the film’s production for eOne together with Lara Thompson, EVP, Global Film Group.