Indie Studio XYZ Films Takes North American Rights To MAN’S SON Starring Frank Grillo With Release Later This Year/ Early 2023

XYZ Films has acquired all North American rights to the horror/thriller MAN’S SON, starring Frank Grillo and directed by his son, Remy Grillo. The film was written by Josh Plasse and Brev Moss. Dare Angel will produce in partnership with Mi Nene.

Producers include Josh Plasse, Shakira Barrera, Conor Allyn, Johnny James Fiore, Benjamin Anderson, Jake Allyn and Fabio Lo Fria. Nidal Kahl, Bobby McMichael, Chido Nwokocha, and Dennis Echelberger will Executive Produce. Production is slated to begin this March, in Yucca Valley, California, with XYZ Films slating the film for a domestic release later this year or early 2023.

The story surrounds a young couple hoping to create an aesthetically pleasing audition tape for an up-and-coming Charles Manson film. But when the couple chooses an eclectic desert Airbnb as the perfect backdrop, the dark events of the audition material slowly slip into their reality... Eventually, they find themselves intertwined in an occult leader (Grillo)’s sinister plot.

The rights for the domestic distribution deal were brokered by XYZ Films’ James Emanuel Shapiro and Pip Ngo, and by Margate House Films’ Conor Allyn, Benjamin Anderson, and Jake Allyn on behalf of the filmmakers.

"Remy's vision for this terrifying, grounded thriller had us hooked from the start. As a company that built its brand working with emerging genre filmmakers, we could not be more excited to bring this film to audiences all over North America," said XYZ’s Pip Ngo.
 
Remy mentioned "Charles Manson is a staple of pop culture to this day. But while many stories have been told about him, XYZ Films and I wanted to explore where the children of Manson's following stand in modern day. There is a dangerously close relevance between Manson's ideology and today's political and social atmosphere, and we believe it is time to resurrect the conversation.”

Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, XYZ has had a standout run of releases, with six movies reaching #1 on Netflix (including recent productions STOWAWAY starring Anna Kendrick and Toni Collette and SYNCHRONIC starring Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan) and several titles reaching #1 on TVOD charts (including films THE SILENCING and ALONE). Since its inception in 2008, XYZ has produced numerous genre hits such as THE RAID franchise by Gareth Evans, THE INVITATION by Karyn Kusama, MANDY by Panos Cosmatos, and Sundance jury prize winner I DON’T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE by Macon Blair.

XYZ Films is an independent studio whose mission is to empower visionary storytellers from every corner of the planet. As a producer, financier, and distributor, the company is uniquely suited to identify talented filmmakers and bring their stories to life. XYZ recently expanded into talent management, working with a global roster of filmmakers. XYZ was founded in 2008 by Nate Bolotin, Nick Spicer, and Aram Tertzakian.

Some of the company’s classic titles include THE RAID franchise, 2017 Sundance winner I DON'T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE, and Panos Cosmatos' psychedelic revenge thriller MANDY. In addition to DUAL, XYZ’s Sundance 2022 slate included PIGGY, based on the Goya-winning short from XYZ management client Carlota Pereda, and SOMETHING IN THE DIRT from visionary filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead.