Epic Pictures Group is an independent film and television studio engaged in the development, financing, production and distribution of film and television. Epic Pictures produces, finances, and distributes approximately twenty-thirty independent genre films a year. In 2013, the company established Epic Pictures Releasing which is its US focused distribution division. In 2017, Epic Pictures acquired the horror website, Dread Central, and launched its unique horror label, Dread, followed by its AVOD channel, DreadTV. In 2019, Epic Pictures started the horror gaming site, DreadXP, with a focus on editorial, reviews, podcasts, and original streaming content. In 2020, DreadXP began a video game publishing division with the launch of The Dread X Collection, an anthology of horror games in collaboration with some developers in the independent gaming space.
Since 2008, Epic Pictures Group has been financing and producing feature films with the goal of empowering visionary filmmakers, helping to shape their stories from script to release. Epic Pictures Group productions are filmed around the globe and vary widely in budget and genre. Recent productions include ''
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot
''The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot'' is a 2018 American adventure drama film, written, co-produced and directed by Robert D. Krzykowski in his feature debut, and starring Sam Elliott, Aidan Turner, Larry Miller, Ron Livingston, and ...
'',
''Lucky'', ''
Sea Fever
''Sea Fever'' is a 2019 science fiction horror thriller film written and directed by Neasa Hardiman, starring Hermione Corfield, Dougray Scott and Connie Nielsen. The film follows the crew of a marooned fishing trawler, who find themselves thre ...
'', ''The Winter Lake'',
''Extra Ordinary'' and ''The Cellar''.
History
Patrick Ewald and Shaked Berenson collaborated closely when they were at Crystal Sky and launched in 2004 a label for
genre
Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...
films call Renegade Pictures which acquired and produced horror films for the international market. The label first original production was ''
The Devil's Chair
''The Devil's Chair'' is a 2007 British horror film. It premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival.
Plot
The film begins with Nick West lighting a cigarette in the dark and introducing himself to some unknown audience. He proceed ...
'' which was acquired by
Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Sony Pictures or SPE, and formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.) is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio Conglomerate (company), conglom ...
after its premiere screening at the midnight madness section at the
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
.
Late 2007, both partners exited Crystal Sky to establish Epic Pictures. The company initially acquired film rights for the foreign market while developing features. Their first production was ''Dark Island'' which was shot in Squamish, Canada in 2008. The film was directed by
Niko Pueringer
Corridor Digital is an American production studio based in Los Angeles, known for creating pop-culture-related viral online short-form videos since 2010, as well as producing and directing the ''Battlefield''-inspired web series ''Rush'' and the ...
and Sam Gorski who later launched
Corridor Digital
Corridor Digital is an American production studio based in Los Angeles, known for creating pop-culture-related viral online short-form videos since 2010, as well as producing and directing the ''Battlefield''-inspired web series ''Rush'' and the ...
. Their second feature was ''
Blood River
Blood River ( af, Bloedrivier; zu, Ncome) is situated in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This river has its sources in the hills south-east of Utrecht; leaving the highlands it is joined by two important tributaries that originate in the Schurvebe ...
'', a third collaboration with writer Simon Boyes and director Adam Mason.
In 2009, they expended beyond genre films and financed an international version of the Russian origin animation ''
Space Dogs 3D'' and produced their third and final film with duo Adam Mason and Simon Boyes, ''
Luster''. At that point Epic Pictures was also representing a variety of pictures in the international market including
Jason Patric
Jason Patric (born June 17, 1966) is an American film, television and stage actor. He is known for his roles in films such as ''The Lost Boys'', ''Rush'', ''Sleepers'', '' Geronimo: An American Legend'', ''Your Friends & Neighbors'', '' Narc'', ...
and
Samantha Morton
Samantha Jane Morton (born 13 May 1977) is an English actress and director. Known for her work in independent cinema, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for tw ...
dramady ''
Expired'' which premiered at Sundance 2007, and Peter Tolan's comedy ''
Finding Amanda
''Finding Amanda'' is a 2008 comedy-drama film directed by Peter Tolan and starring Matthew Broderick and Brittany Snow.
The plot revolves around a television producer with a penchant for drinking and gambling, who is sent to Las Vegas to convin ...
'' starring
Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick (born March 21, 1962) is an American actor. His roles include the Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of the title character in ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986), the voice of adult Simba in Disney's ''The Lion King'' (1994), ...
and
Brittany Snow
Brittany Anne Snow (born March 9, 1986) is an American actress. She rose to prominence after appearing in the CBS soap opera ''Guiding Light'' (1998–2001), for which she won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress and was nominated for two ...
.
In 2010, Epic Pictures partnered with ''
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...
'' producer Wayne Rice to produce ''
11-11-11''. Written and directed by
Darren Lynn Bousman
Darren Lynn Bousman (; born January 11, 1979) is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for his work in horror films. He has directed four of the ''Saw'' films: ''Saw II'', ''Saw III'', ''Saw IV'', and '' Spiral''. He also direct ...
, the
supernatural horror film
Supernatural horror film is a film genre that combines aspects of horror film and supernatural film. Supernatural occurrences in such films often include ghosts and demons, and many supernatural horror films have elements of religion. Common them ...
was scheduled to be released worldwide on Friday, November 11, 2011. While the film received mix reviews, it was considered a success internationally grossing 5.7 million dollar for a modest budget of 2.6 million. The United States, the film was sold by the directors agent to Rocket Releasing who placed the film in 17 theaters and grossed only $32,771.
In 2013, the company expended into distribution in the United States and established a subsidiary called Epic Pictures Releasing.
The company first theatrical release was ''
Big Ass Spider!
''Big Ass Spider!'' is a 2013 science fiction comedy-action film directed by Mike Mendez. The film tells the story of a bug exterminator, who, with the help of a hospital security guard and the military, battles a giant spider that goes on a ram ...
'' on Oct 18, 2013 and was reviewed positively by critics, scoring 76% on Rotten Tomatoes
In 2014, Epic Pictures produced the romantic comedy ''
Who Gets The Dog?'' together is 2DS Productions, a local company in Chicago, where the film was shot. The film was originally supposed to be directed by
For a short period
Steven C. Miller
Steven C. Miller is an American screenwriter, editor, and director. His feature film debut, ''Automaton Transfusion'', became an instant cult classic and catapulted his career into Hollywood. He directed the remake of ''Silent Night, Deadly Night ...
was attached to Direct. Miller directed
The Aggression Scale
''The Aggression Scale'' is a 2012 action thriller film directed by Steven C. Miller. It stars Ray Wise, Dana Ashbrook, Derek Mears, Fabianne Therese, Ryan Hartwig, and Jacob Reynolds.
Plot
Mob boss Bellavance (Ray Wise) is released from prison on ...
for Epic the previous year. Eventually the film was directed by Huck Botko who collaborated with 2DS Productions on his film
Bad Johnson
''Bad Johnson'' is a 2014 American sex comedy film directed by Huck Botko.
Plot
Rich is a sex addict who ruins every relationship through infidelity. He wishes that his penis would leave him alone. He wakes up one day to find his penis has taken ...
. ''Who Gets The Dog?'' received mixed reviews and was sold to
Samuel Goldwyn Film.
In 2015, Epic Pictures produced four films: ''
Turbo Kid
''Turbo Kid'' is a 2015 Canadian sci-fi splatter action comedy film written and directed by François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell. The film stars Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Michael Ironside, Edwin Wright, Aaron Jeffery ...
'' which premiered at Sundance and won 24 awards including the Audience Award at
SXSW
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...
for the Midnighters section, and a
Saturn Award for Best International Film
The Saturn Award for Best International Film is one of the annual awards given by the American professional organization, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. The Saturn Awards, which are the oldest film-specialized awards to rew ...
in 2016. The all-star horror anthology ''
Tales of Halloween
''Tales of Halloween'' is a 2015 American comedy horror anthology film consisting of ten interlocking segments, each revolving around the titular holiday. Segments were directed by Neil Marshall, Darren Lynn Bousman, Axelle Carolyn, Lucky McKee, ...
'' which premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival. The arthouse experimental drama ''
Entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousa ...
'' directed by
Rick Alverson
Patrick James Alverson Jr. (born June 25, 1971) is an American film director, screenwriter and musician, living in Richmond, Virginia. His films have been characterized by their confrontational nature and departure from traditional 3 act structu ...
and starring
Gregg Turkington
Gregg Turkington (born November 25, 1967) is an Australian-born American entertainer, actor, musician and writer. He is known for his performances as Neil Hamburger, a stand-up comedian persona he developed in the 1990s. Alongside Tim Heidecker, ...
and
John C. Reilly
John Christopher Reilly (born May 24, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, musician, producer, and writer. After his film debut in ''Casualties of War'' (1989), he gained exposure through his supporting roles in ''Days of Thunder'' (1990), ''Wh ...
. While ''Entertainment'' was widely accepted by critics and won several awards including the Environment Is Quality of Life Prize at the
Locarno Festival
The Locarno Film Festival is an annual film festival, held every August in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narrative, documentary, sh ...
, the film did not connect with audience and was released in the United States on VOD by Magnolia Entertainment. The micro budget ''
JeruZalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
'', directed by Yoav and Doron Paz and was filmed on location in Jerusalem, Israel.
In 2016, Epic Pictures produced ''
Day of Reckoning __NOTOC__
Day of reckoning refers to the Last Judgment of God in Christian and Islamic belief during which everyone after death is called to account for their actions committed in life.
Day of Reckoning may also refer to:
Music
* ''Day of Reckoni ...
'' for Universal's Syfy channel. The film was directed by Venezuelan filmmaker Joel Novoa; ''
The Lodgers'', directed by Let's Us Prey director
Brian O'Malley
Brian Kevin O'Malley (22 January 1930 – 6 April 1976) was a British Labour Party politician.
O'Malley was educated at Mexborough Grammar School and Manchester University. He was a teacher and lecturer and a trade union official. From 19 ...
which premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
, and the action zombie horror film ''
Redcon-1
''Redcon-1'' (also known as ''Redcon-1 - Army of the Dead'') is a 2018 British action horror film, starring Katarina Waters, Mark Strange, and Carlos Gallardo. The film was produced by Gallardo and Kevin Eastman. Working titles for the film incl ...
'', written and directed by Chee Keong Cheung and produced by
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' is an American media franchise created by the comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Leonardo, Michelangelo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Miche ...
co-creator
Kevin Eastman
Kevin Brooks Eastman (born May 30, 1962) is an American comics artist, comic book artist and writer best known for co-creating the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Peter Laird. Eastman was also formerly the editor and publisher of the magazine ...
.
In 2017, Epic Pictures acquired a horror website,
Dread Central
Dread Central is an American website founded in 2006 that is dedicated to horror news, interviews, and reviews. It covers horror films, comics, novels, and toys. Dread Central has won the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Best Website f ...
and launched its horror label, Dread, followed by its AVOD channel.
In 2019, Epic Pictures started the horror gaming site, DreadXP, with a focus on editorial, reviews, podcasts, and original streaming content.
In 2020, DreadXP began a video game publishing division with the launch of The Dread X Collection, an anthology of horror games in collaboration with some developers in the independent gaming space.
Selected filmography
* ''
11-11-11'' (2011)
* ''
A Tiger's Tail'' (2015)
* ''
Bear
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...
'' (2010)
* ''
Big Ass Spider!
''Big Ass Spider!'' is a 2013 science fiction comedy-action film directed by Mike Mendez. The film tells the story of a bug exterminator, who, with the help of a hospital security guard and the military, battles a giant spider that goes on a ram ...
'' (2013)
* ''
Black Beauty
''Black Beauty: His Grooms and Companions, the Autobiography of a Horse'' is an 1877 novel by English author Anna Sewell. It was composed in the last years of her life, during which she was bedridden and seriously ill.Merriam-Webster (1995). ...
'' (2015)
* ''
Blood River
Blood River ( af, Bloedrivier; zu, Ncome) is situated in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This river has its sources in the hills south-east of Utrecht; leaving the highlands it is joined by two important tributaries that originate in the Schurvebe ...
'' (2009)
* ''Brothers of War'' (2015)
* ''Dark Island'' (2009)
* ''
Day of Reckoning __NOTOC__
Day of reckoning refers to the Last Judgment of God in Christian and Islamic belief during which everyone after death is called to account for their actions committed in life.
Day of Reckoning may also refer to:
Music
* ''Day of Reckoni ...
'' (2016)
* ''
Deadline
Deadline(s) or The Deadline(s) may refer to:
* Time limit, a narrow field of time by which an objective must be accomplished
Arts, entertainment, and media Comics
* Deadline (DC Comics), a fictional villain
* ''Deadline'' (magazine), a Britis ...
'' (2009)
* ''Ditched''
* ''
Entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousa ...
'' (2015)
* ''
Expired'' (2009)
* ''
Finding Amanda
''Finding Amanda'' is a 2008 comedy-drama film directed by Peter Tolan and starring Matthew Broderick and Brittany Snow.
The plot revolves around a television producer with a penchant for drinking and gambling, who is sent to Las Vegas to convin ...
'' (2009)
* ''
Housebroken
''HouseBroken'' is an American animated sitcom created by Jennifer Crittenden, Clea DuVall, and Gabrielle Allan that premiered on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox on May 31, 2021. In August 2021, the series was renewed for a second season which prem ...
'' (2009)
* ''
JeruZalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
'' (2015)
* ''
Kill 'em All
''Kill 'Em All'' is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on July 25, 1983, through the independent label Megaforce Records. Metallica began by playing shows in local clubs in Los Angeles. They recorded several ...
'' (2013)
* ''
Killer Pad
''Killer Pad'' is a 2008 comedy horror film directed by Robert Englund and starring Daniel Franzese, Eric Jungmann
Eric Joseph Jungmann (born December 2, 1981) is an American film and television actor perhaps best known for his role as "the ...
'' (2007)
* ''
Louder Than Words'' (2015)
* ''
Mall
Mall commonly refers to a:
* Shopping mall
* Strip mall
* Pedestrian street
* Esplanade
Mall or MALL may also refer to:
Places Shopping complexes
* The Mall (Sofia) (Tsarigradsko Mall), Sofia, Bulgaria
* The Mall, Patna, Patna, Bihar, India
* M ...
'' (2015)
* ''
Nina Forever
''Nina Forever'' is a 2015 British comedy horror, horror comedy film written and directed by brothers Ben and Chris Blaine. It stars Fiona O'Shaughnessy, Abigail Hardingham, and Cian Barry. It premiered at the 2015 SXSW film festival. Fiona O'S ...
'' (2015)
* ''
Radius
In classical geometry, a radius ( : radii) of a circle or sphere is any of the line segments from its center to its perimeter, and in more modern usage, it is also their length. The name comes from the latin ''radius'', meaning ray but also the ...
'' (2017)
* ''
Redbad Radbod, Radbot, Ratbod, Ratpot, Redbod, Redbad, Radboud, Rapoto, or sometimes just Boddo, is a Germanic masculine given name that may refer to:
*Redbad, King of the Frisians (died 719)
*Radbod (prefect) (833–54), Frankish prefect
*Ratbod (archbis ...
'' (2018) ''(only North America)''
* ''
Redcon-1
''Redcon-1'' (also known as ''Redcon-1 - Army of the Dead'') is a 2018 British action horror film, starring Katarina Waters, Mark Strange, and Carlos Gallardo. The film was produced by Gallardo and Kevin Eastman. Working titles for the film incl ...
'' (2018)
* ''
Slapface'' (2021)
* ''
Someone Marry Barry
''Someone Marry Barry'' is a 2014 American romantic comedy directed and written by Rob Pearlstein and starring Tyler Labine, Lucy Punch, Damon Wayans, Jr., and Hayes MacArthur.
A group of childhood friends plot to get rid of their socially inapp ...
'' (2015)
* ''
Space Dog: Adventure To The Moon'' (2015)
* ''
Space Dogs 3D'' (2011)
* ''
Space Dogs Family'' (2016)
* ''
Sushi Girl
''Sushi Girl'' is an American crime film directed by Kern Saxton and starring Tony Todd, Mark Hamill, Noah Hathaway, Sonny Chiba and Cortney Palm. Tony Todd also served as an executive producer. It premiered at a TCL Chinese Theatre, played in sev ...
'' (2012)
* ''
Tales of Halloween
''Tales of Halloween'' is a 2015 American comedy horror anthology film consisting of ten interlocking segments, each revolving around the titular holiday. Segments were directed by Neil Marshall, Darren Lynn Bousman, Axelle Carolyn, Lucky McKee, ...
'' (2015)
* ''
Thale
Thale () is a town in the Harz district in Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany. Located at the steep northeastern rim of the Harz mountain range, it is known for the scenic Bode Gorge stretching above the town centre.
Geography
The town is situated ...
'' (2012)
* ''
The Aggression Scale
''The Aggression Scale'' is a 2012 action thriller film directed by Steven C. Miller. It stars Ray Wise, Dana Ashbrook, Derek Mears, Fabianne Therese, Ryan Hartwig, and Jacob Reynolds.
Plot
Mob boss Bellavance (Ray Wise) is released from prison on ...
'' (2012)
* ''
The Good Life'' (2007)
* ''
The Jerk Theory
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' (2009
* ''
The Lodgers'' (2017)
* ''
The Monster Project
''The Monster Project'' is a 2017 American horror film directed by Victor Mathieu and starring Justin Bruening and Toby Hemingway.
Plot
Devon (Justin Bruening) is an up-and-coming youtuber who makes fake videos about monster appearances with his ...
'' (2017)
* ''
Turbo Kid
''Turbo Kid'' is a 2015 Canadian sci-fi splatter action comedy film written and directed by François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell. The film stars Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Michael Ironside, Edwin Wright, Aaron Jeffery ...
'' (2015)
* ''
V/H/S
''V/H/S'' is a 2012 American found footage horror anthology film and the first installment in the ''V/H/S'' franchise created by Brad Miska and Bloody Disgusting and produced by Miska and Roxanne Benjamin. It features a series of found foota ...
'' (2012)
* ''
V/H/S: Viral'' (2015)
* ''
Vikingdom
Vikingdom is a Malaysian English-speaking fantasy action film directed by Yusry Abdul Halim, produced by Shireen M. Hashim, written by Abdul Halim, and starring Dominic Purcell, Conan Stevens, Craig Fairbrass, Natassia Malthe, and Jon Foo.
Th ...
'' (2013)
* ''
Who Gets The Dog?'' (2017)
* ''
Zombeavers
''Zombeavers'' is a 2014 American horror comedy film directed by Jordan Rubin, based on a script by Al Kaplan, Jordan Rubin, and Jon Kaplan. The film follows a group of college kids staying at a riverside cottage that are attacked by a swarm of ...
'' (2015)
* ''
Redcon-1
''Redcon-1'' (also known as ''Redcon-1 - Army of the Dead'') is a 2018 British action horror film, starring Katarina Waters, Mark Strange, and Carlos Gallardo. The film was produced by Gallardo and Kevin Eastman. Working titles for the film incl ...
'' (2019)
* ''
Benny Loves You
''Benny Loves You'' is a 2019 British horror comedy film directed, written, and produced by Karl Holt. It stars Claire Cartwright, George Collie, James Parsons, David Wayman, Lydia Hourihan and Holt himself. The film premiered at the Buenos Aire ...
'' (2019)
*''
The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw
''The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw'' (released as ''Blood Harvest'' in the United Kingdom) is a 2020 Canadian supernatural horror film written and directed by Thomas Robert Lee. It stars Catherine Walker, Jessica Reynolds, Jared Abrahamson and Se ...
'' (2020)
References
{{Authority control
2007 establishments in California
Film production companies of the United States