Solidifying itself as the international breadwinner of studios, Neon has quietly become one of the most prominent and successful “smaller” studios since its 2017 inception. They grew from 5 employees at a WeWork to a fully independent studio is less than a decade, quite the run for a new up and coming studio! An expert purchaser of festival premieres and the coveted Palm D’Or out of Cannes, Neon’s run of international cinema has remained unmatched. Just this year they went 4 for 5 in their International Feature Oscar noms, with some predicting a 5 for 5 in the category. Much of what Neon produces throughout the year is backloaded, largely consisting of festival buzz acquirements, so it’s interesting to see what they have in store for audiences prior to the fall festival season.

The Hauntings of Hokum

Hokum

First up is Neon’s new horror release Hokum, set to hit theaters May 1st after a well received debut at SXSW earlier this year. Adam Scott (who also stars) presented a new trailer for the creepy new film, stating “I found out at an early age that getting the shit scared out of me was thrilling.” Hokum has definitely rattled those who have seen it, and I’m banking that this will be one of Neon’s most terrifying US films of the year.

Boots Riley Presents I Love Boosters

Another smash from SXSW, Boots Riley returns to the big screen with his Sorry to Bother You follow up I Love Boosters. Also a May release, both Boots and Lakeith Stanfield took the stage to present a new trailer. A vibrant satire of capitalism and the fashion industry, I Love Boosters looks to be a weird, wild, and very funny ride! It’s hard to go wrong with a cast that includes Keke Palmer, Will Poulter, Alexa Demi, Naomi Ackie, Eiza Gonzalez, and the iconic Demi Moore. It is one of my most anticipated films of the year and I can’t wait to see it in theaters later this year!

Leviticus and A Place in Hell

Keeping the spooky theme alive, Neon unveiled a new teaser for Leviticus – their major Sundance Film Festival Midnighter get set for a June release and a first look glimpse at A Place In Hell, the upcoming thriller from Chloe Demount. The latter is slated for Christmas release, and stars Daisy Edgar Jones, Michelle Williams and Adrew Scott. Demount’s first feature Fair Play was a taught thriller set in the high pressure world of finance, and this new film looks to focus on the courtroom and rival attorneys. Demount injects electricity into all of her scripts, so A Place In Hell is sure to have some thrilling back and forth moments we love to see in these kinds of courtroom thrillers. The reactions for both were positive at Cinemacon, and Leviticus was the breakout of Sundance. Even before the big festivals, Neon looks to be on the road for another stellar movie year!

Korean Thriller HOPE Hits the Neon Stage

The Wailing was a huge success for streaming, introducing the world to Na Hong-jin’s horror/thriller style and keeping up the unbeaten streak of Korean horror imports. Hong-jin is back with his next film Hope, a sci-fi action thriller is set to have its world premiere at Cannes, and it looks like Neon is preemptively striking while the iron is hot! Buzz on the ground is the Hope trailer that was shown looks awesome, and features a pretty solid cast that includes Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Alicia Vikander, Michael Fassbender, and Taylor Russell.

It’s exciting to see Neon have so much to present and release prior to their festival arrivals, which usually rounds out their slate and launches them into Oscar contention for the rest of the season. It is possibly one of the most consistent studios out there, and given what they’ve shared so far it looks like Neon is set up to have another tremendous year in the world of horror, thriller and sci-fi action!

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