New York-based prodco and distributor A24 has acquired the world rights to writer-director Ian Tuason’s feature debut The Undertone, following its world premiere at Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival.

The deal, which was first reported by Deadline, was reportedly made after a bidding war with six other buyers, with the final sale price landing in the mid-seven figures.

The Undertone is produced by Dan Slater of Slaterverse Pictures and Cody Calahan of Black Fawn Films. Executive producers include Black Fawn’s Chad Archibald, Spooky Pictures’ Steven Schneider and Roy Lee, Brit MacRae and Daril Fannin of Kino Studios, and helmer Tuason’s VR prodco DimensionGate.

The deal for the horror feature was negotiated by Stuart Manashil of Novo Entertainment, Archibald of Black Fawn Distribution, and 3 Arts Entertainment’s Will Rowbotham and Luke Maxwell, representing the filmmaker.

The Undertone stars Nina Kiri (The Handmaid’s Tale) as a paranormal podcast co-host who returns home to care for her mother, where she begins receiving increasingly sinister audio recordings of a married couple.

The cast also features Kris Holden-Ried (The Way Home), Michèle Duquet (Murdoch Mysteries), Keana Lyn-Bastidas (The Hardy Boys) and Jeff Yung (The Shrouds).

Prior to The Undertone, Tuason won a 2016 Wattpad Watty award for Everyone and No One, which he later released as his debut novel. He is also the creator behind short films such as The Closet and Continuity Problems.

Image courtesy of the Fantasia International Film Festival