Breakthrough, Black Fawn spark Vicious Fun with Turner LatAm

The Toronto prodcos have partnered with Turner Latin America's production banner to develop, co-finance and produce genre titles, starting with horror Vicious Fun.

Toronto-based prodcos Breakthrough Entertainment and Black Fawn Films are expanding their international reach in a partnership with Turner Latin America.

Particular Crowd, Turner Latin America’s English-language film label, will help develop, co-finance and produce genre film with Breakthrough and its partner Black Fawn Films, beginning with the horror film Vicious Fun (pictured), now in post-production.

Ira Levy, partner and executive producer at Breakthrough, told Playback Daily the deal grew from Turner Latin America’s initial interest in Vicious Fun as a pre-buy, leading to a wider deal to help boosts its genre output in the region. “There’s a real hunger for the type of genre content we’re producing in Latin America.”

Vicious Fun, which was shot in Hamilton in late 2019, represents the horror and thriller content that’s in demand from Latin American audiences, according to Levy. The film follows a horror film critic who finds himself caught up in a self-help group for serial killers and must blend in with them to avoid becoming their next victim. It is produced by Black Fawn Films’ Chad Archibald and Cody Calahan, with the Calahan serving as director, and stars Evan Marsh, Amber Goldfarb, David Koechner, Julian Richings, Ari Millen and Sean Baek.

Levy says the added financing through the deals gives the prodco and its partners more opportunity to bring the films into the international market. Breakthrough currently has four projects in development with Particular Crowd, and is working with Black Fawn Films and other Canadian indie prodcos on its upcoming titles.

Particular Crowd also has development, co-financing and production deals with U.S. prodcos such as Blumhouse Productions and MarVista Entertainment. The production banner officially launched at NATPE in Miami in January with a 90-title production slate thanks to its robust number of partnerships. Turner Latin America has plans to distribute titles on its platforms in linear television, theatrical and digital, including HBO Max, which is owned by parent company WarnerMedia.

Photo by Miz Monday