Michael Buckner
Neon has picked up U.S. rights to “Immaculate,” a new horror film produced and starring Sydney Sweeney (“Anyone But You”). The cinema release is not yet known.
News of the deal comes as Neon & Pics producer Black Bear awaits the nationwide Christmas release of Michael Mann's Ferrari. Other upcoming projects the companies have collaborated on include Osgood Perkins' Longlegs, starring Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe, and Asif Kapadia's 2073.
Directed by Michael Mohan, Immaculate follows Cecilia (Sweeney), a religious woman who is offered a fulfilling new role at a famous Italian monastery. Their warm welcome in the picturesque Italian countryside is soon interrupted when Cecilia realizes that her new home holds some dark and terrible secrets.
The screenplay was written by Andrew Lobel and also stars Simona Tabasco, the White Lotus breakthrough, as well as Alvaro Morte (Money Heist), Benedetta Porcaroli (Baby) and Dora Romano (The Hand of God).
Sweeney developed the project with David Bernad of Middle Child Pictures, following her collaboration with the producer on The White Lotus. In addition to Sweeney and Bernad, the producers included Jonathan Davino for Sweeney's Fifty-Fifty Films and Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler for Black Bear, who fully financed the project and represented international distribution rights. Executive producers are Black Bear's John Friedberg and Christopher Casanova, as well as Will Greenfield.
Jason Wald, Neon's vice president of acquisitions and production, negotiated the deal on behalf of the company, with CAA Media Finance and Paradigm on behalf of the filmmakers.