Anchor Bay, Next Level in co-pro deal

UK distributor Anchor Bay Entertainment UK has signed a co-production and distribution agreement with UK production outfit Next Level Films.

As part of the deal Anchor Bay UK will retain worldwide sales and distribution rights to the first film to come out of the partnership, World War Dead: Rise of the Fallen, which was co-developed by the partners and on which shoot is now underway.

Bart Ruspoli and Freddie Hutton-Mills (Cryptic) will direct the found-footage horror, which Next Level Films will produce through its genre label Atomic Level Films.

Ray Panthaki (28 Days Later), Wendy Glenn (You’re Next) and Kacey Barnfield (Resident Evil) will star in the feature, which follows a TV documentary team that uncovers an army of the undead while traveling through the Somme battle fields.

Anchor Bay’s director of acquisitions Rod Smith said: “I am delighted to be announcing this first Anchor Bay Entertainment UK production. This project has been in development with us for some time as we searched for the right partners to work with. Bart & Freddie understood it immediately and helped us develop it to an even higher level.”

Ruspoli and Hutton-Mills of Next Level commented: “With our fresh approach to the found footage horror film combined with Anchor Bay’s experience and expertise in this genre this promises to be a film that will entertain audiences far and wide.”

Anchor Bay also has a production deal with Jonathan Sothcott’s Richwater Films.