Interactive slasher film “Slay Day” will debut in theaters next fall from Kino Industries’ CtrlMovie.
Per CtrlMovie, “Slay Day” will ask audiences to “collectively vote on each critical decision using their smartphones, seamlessly altering the story as it plays.” “No two screenings will ever be the same. Some theaters may crown a new ‘Final Girl,’ others may leave with no survivors at all. With over twenty unique endings, Slay Day transforms the slasher formula into a ruthless social experience: can you survive a horror movie when you’re the one pulling the strings?”
After its theatrical run, Kino Industries’ CtrlMovie will release “Slay Day” across “traditional and interactive platforms,” including major gaming services such as Steam, PlayStation and Xbox.
The directorial debut of John David Buxton, “Slay Day” is set on Friday the 13th, 1987, in the picture-perfect town of Belle Falls, the story follows six teens preparing for their biggest night of the year: the Sadie Hawkins dance. But when the town exhumes the body of the real Sadie Hawkins to unravel the truth behind her killing spree fifty years earlier, a malevolent force returns to the town.
The “Slay Day” cast includes Jayden Bartels (“Goosebumps,” “Side Hustle”), Shelby Simmons (“Bunk’d”), Emma McNulty (“FBI: Most Wanted”), Caleb Brown (“Mother’s Day”), Luke Mullen (“V/H/S/99”), Corrado Martini (“Circles”), and Lyndon Smith (“National Treasure: Edge of History”). Casting was led by Danielle Aufiero and Amber Horn of Aufiero/Horn.
“Slay Day” is written by Andrew Matisziw (“Goliath,” “The Firm”) and produced by Mark Dragin (“Law & Order,” “Law & Order: SVU”), Michael Kagan (“Night Patrol,” “The Apology”) and Scott C. Silver (“The Pyramid,” “Wheelman,” “BornStars”). Eric Schneider, Angela Kay and Chaz Barsamian are executive producers.
BasePoint Capital is financing the film under its recently set deal with Kino Industries’ CtrlMovie.
“Horror has always been about participation — yelling at the screen, covering your eyes, daring the killer to come closer,” Buxton said. “’Slay Day’ turns that instinct into action. For the first time, the audience truly decides who lives, who dies, and who deserves to, in a democratic and instantaneous experience.”
“We’ve spent years developing CtrlMovie to blur the line between story and player, but ‘Slay Day’ is the first time audiences will experience that power on a theatrical scale,” Silver said. “It’s not just a movie, it’s a new theatrical experience where every decision ripples through the story in real time. The technology lets people experience horror in the most personal way imaginable. because this time the deaths are the direct result of the audience’s choices. Every reckless dare. Every jealous glance. Every deadly mistake. You choose. They pay!”
“Every choice the audience makes determines who survives the night — and who doesn’t.“Utah was the ideal place to make this film,” Kagan said. “The state offered a great crew, a strong infrastructure, and an incredible range of locations — from small-town streets to wide-open landscapes — all within easy reach. The support we received from the local film community made it an exceptional place to shoot.”
Buxton is repped by attorney Jesse Nord at The Nord Group. Lead and production counsel Chaz Barsamian of Entertainment Law Partners represents the film.
