Rebecca-Clare Evans’ Caged Film has wrapped a three-week shoot in Snowdonia, Wales on Natalie Kennedy’s horror Purgatory.
The film stars Alina Allison from 2023 horror Punch, and Thomas Grant from Pretty Red Dress. Purgatory follows a disabled young woman on her way to university who meets a sadistic serial killer, and who must work to escape an cycle of torment. Evans, Bhaskar Patel, Pat Lally and Millie Thompson also star. A first look at the film has been released, above.
The script, by US writer Brian Schwab, recently received second place in the horror/thriller category at the Slamdance Screenplay Competition.
The film stars Alina Allison from 2023 horror Punch, and Thomas Grant from Pretty Red Dress. Purgatory follows a disabled young woman on her way to university who meets a sadistic serial killer, and who must work to escape an cycle of torment. Evans, Bhaskar Patel, Pat Lally and Millie Thompson also star. A first look at the film has been released, above.
The script, by US writer Brian Schwab, recently received second place in the horror/thriller category at the Slamdance Screenplay Competition.
- 1/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
Sparky Pictures, in association with Templeheart Films and Kenmore Films, are delighted to reveal British Sci-Fi thriller Blank is out now on UK Digital Download including Sky Cinema, Virgin, YouTube, Rakuten, Google Play, ITunes and to rent/buy on Amazon Prime Video. Directed by Natalie Kennedy, the film stars Rachel Shelley (The L Word), and Heida Reed, and Wayne Brady (The Wayne Brady Show). Blank is written by Stephen Herman and produced by Rebecca-Clare Evans (In Another Life). Synopsis: After checking in at an AI-operated writer’s retreat, Claire finds herself trapped in her unit with a malfunctioning android. As her captor becomes increasingly unstable, she has to outsmart the technology to make it out alive…
The post Blank | British Sci-Fi Thriller from Director Natalie Kennedy – out now on UK Digital appeared first on Horror Asylum.
The post Blank | British Sci-Fi Thriller from Director Natalie Kennedy – out now on UK Digital appeared first on Horror Asylum.
- 1/15/2024
- by Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins
- Horror Asylum
Stars: Rachel Shelley, Wayne Brady, Heida Reed, Annie Cusselle, Rebecca-Clare Evans | Written by Stephen Herman | Directed by Natalie Kennedy
Combining two popular themes, an author struggling with writer’s block and AI run amuck, Blank is the story of Claire Rivers who can’t seem to put words on paper even as the bills pile up and the calls from her agent become more frantic. Finally, facing a one month deadline to either produce a book or lose her publishing deal she decides to spend that time at The Retreat, a high tech facility for the creatively blocked.
Her room comes complete with a holographic concierge named Henry and Rita an android assistant. There’s also a weird little device for Claire to attach to her head in order to stimulate her creativity. It doesn’t seem to help though as we mostly see her drinking wine and falling asleep in front of the TV.
Combining two popular themes, an author struggling with writer’s block and AI run amuck, Blank is the story of Claire Rivers who can’t seem to put words on paper even as the bills pile up and the calls from her agent become more frantic. Finally, facing a one month deadline to either produce a book or lose her publishing deal she decides to spend that time at The Retreat, a high tech facility for the creatively blocked.
Her room comes complete with a holographic concierge named Henry and Rita an android assistant. There’s also a weird little device for Claire to attach to her head in order to stimulate her creativity. It doesn’t seem to help though as we mostly see her drinking wine and falling asleep in front of the TV.
- 12/22/2023
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
A new British sci-fi thriller is coming to screens in January – and we’ve got the trailer for Blank right here.
It’s tough being an independent in the current marketplace, especially so if you’re trying to cut through with a science fiction project. We’ve seen Gareth Edwards’ The Creator – off the back of strong reviews – fall short of Disney’s box office hopes, and thus put science fiction back under the microscope.
Lots of bonus points therefore to director Natalie Kennedy, who has put the finishing touches to her science fiction thriller, Blank. This is a British production, starring Rachel Shelley, Heida Reed and Wayne Brady.
The script has come from Stephen Herman, whilst Rebecca Clare-Evans has produced. And now we hear that the film will arrive on January 8th 2024. It’s going to digital download services, and we’ve got a trailer and a synopsis.
It...
It’s tough being an independent in the current marketplace, especially so if you’re trying to cut through with a science fiction project. We’ve seen Gareth Edwards’ The Creator – off the back of strong reviews – fall short of Disney’s box office hopes, and thus put science fiction back under the microscope.
Lots of bonus points therefore to director Natalie Kennedy, who has put the finishing touches to her science fiction thriller, Blank. This is a British production, starring Rachel Shelley, Heida Reed and Wayne Brady.
The script has come from Stephen Herman, whilst Rebecca Clare-Evans has produced. And now we hear that the film will arrive on January 8th 2024. It’s going to digital download services, and we’ve got a trailer and a synopsis.
It...
- 11/22/2023
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
"Something is going on out there, and it's affecting us in here!" UK's Sparky Pictures, in association with Templeheart Films and Kenmore Films, are delighted to reveal an official UK trailer for a British indie sci-fi film called Blank, marking the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Natalie Kennedy. It already opened in the US in 2022 after premiering at the Manchester Film Festival (view last year's trailer) so here's another reminder it exists. A desperate writer signs up for a fully A.I. operated retreat to cure her writer's block, but when an unforeseen software glitch occurs, she gets trapped inside her unit with an unstable android and no communication with the outside world. Another fascinating Artificial Intelligence thriller about these times we're in. Starring Rachel Shelley, Heida Reed, and Wayne Brady. This seems pretty obvious, with the android understanding what needs to be done to help her, perhaps with some ulterior motives.
- 11/21/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
There’s some inspired direction as Misery meets Ex Machina in this sci-fi psychological thriller
In what has the distinctively zoned-out vibe of another lockdown-born project, Natalie Kennedy’s sci-fi psychological thriller sees Clare Rivers (Rachel Shelley), an author with writer’s block, sign up for a deluxe writing retreat operated entirely by AI. Sealed hermetically into her unit by a virus that corrupts the system, she can’t leave until she has produced a book, making Blank play out like Misery and Ex Machina spliced.
Taking place in a near future where writing is all holographic word processors and genial AI assistants rather than tattered notebooks and half-eaten Twixes, the profession seems to have moved on. Or perhaps not: Clare’s blockage is aggravated by being locked in with only a malfunctioning amnesiac android called Rita (Heida Reed) for company. Reset every day and refusing to open the external...
In what has the distinctively zoned-out vibe of another lockdown-born project, Natalie Kennedy’s sci-fi psychological thriller sees Clare Rivers (Rachel Shelley), an author with writer’s block, sign up for a deluxe writing retreat operated entirely by AI. Sealed hermetically into her unit by a virus that corrupts the system, she can’t leave until she has produced a book, making Blank play out like Misery and Ex Machina spliced.
Taking place in a near future where writing is all holographic word processors and genial AI assistants rather than tattered notebooks and half-eaten Twixes, the profession seems to have moved on. Or perhaps not: Clare’s blockage is aggravated by being locked in with only a malfunctioning amnesiac android called Rita (Heida Reed) for company. Reset every day and refusing to open the external...
- 10/30/2023
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
"Blank" is the 2022 'killer android' science fiction thriller, directed by Natalie Kennedy, now available through Prime Video:
"...struggling author 'Claire Rivers' signs up for a fully 'A.I'.-operated retreat to help her writer's block, but when an unforeseen software glitch occurs, she gets trapped inside her unit with a malfunctioning android, a degenerating host and no communication with the outside world.
"As time is running out, food supplies getting desperately low and the android becoming increasingly unstable, Claire must overcome her fears and find a way to outsmart the technology in order to make it out of the retreat alive..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...struggling author 'Claire Rivers' signs up for a fully 'A.I'.-operated retreat to help her writer's block, but when an unforeseen software glitch occurs, she gets trapped inside her unit with a malfunctioning android, a degenerating host and no communication with the outside world.
"As time is running out, food supplies getting desperately low and the android becoming increasingly unstable, Claire must overcome her fears and find a way to outsmart the technology in order to make it out of the retreat alive..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 3/5/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
The title has sold across Europe and the Middle East.
UK sales outfit Film Seekers has brought in a raft of deals for Blank, selling to the UK (Sparky Pictures), Scandinavia (Njuta), Portugal (Vendetta), Middle East (Teleprog) and airlines (Encore).
Natalie Kennedy’s feature stars Heida Reed, Rachel Shelley and US TV host Wayne Brady. A writer signs up for an AI-operated retreat to cure her writer’s block, where she finds herself stuck after a glitch occurs in the system. Rebecca-Clare Evans produces.
Previous deals include North America (Brainstorm), where the film first released in September 2022, along with China...
UK sales outfit Film Seekers has brought in a raft of deals for Blank, selling to the UK (Sparky Pictures), Scandinavia (Njuta), Portugal (Vendetta), Middle East (Teleprog) and airlines (Encore).
Natalie Kennedy’s feature stars Heida Reed, Rachel Shelley and US TV host Wayne Brady. A writer signs up for an AI-operated retreat to cure her writer’s block, where she finds herself stuck after a glitch occurs in the system. Rebecca-Clare Evans produces.
Previous deals include North America (Brainstorm), where the film first released in September 2022, along with China...
- 2/18/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
For a writer, there are few things more intimidating than the blank page. Creativity at its best comes organically, but books and articles live on deadlines, with a specified amount of copy required by a certain date. It’s this anxiety that’s at the heart of Natalie Kennedy’s film Blank, but it’s far from the only one.
- 9/19/2022
- by Luke Y. Thompson
- avclub.com
Brainstorm Media has just dated their sci-fi/horror movie Blank for release this Halloween season, director Natalie Kennedy‘s AI nightmare headed our way on September 23, 2022. In the film, “Struggling author, Claire Rivers signs up for a fully A.I. operated retreat to help her writer’s block, but when an unforeseen software glitch occurs, she gets […]
The post ‘Blank’ – A Writing Retreat Becomes a Techno Horror Nightmare This September appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
The post ‘Blank’ – A Writing Retreat Becomes a Techno Horror Nightmare This September appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
- 8/1/2022
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Thriller is the debut feature of UK director Natalie Kennedy.
UK-based sales agent Film Seekers has scored theatrical deals on sci-fi thriller Blank, the debut feature of UK director Natalie Kennedy.
It has sold to Brainstorm Media for North America, Jetsen Huashi for China, M-Net for South Africa and Fabula for Turkey.
The title is produced by Rebecca-Clare Evans of KenMor Films, for Caged Film. It follows a desperate writer who signs up for an AI-operated retreat to cure her writer’s block. Heida Reed and Rachel Shelley star alongside US TV host Wayne Brady.
Browse Screen’s Cannes 2022 digital...
UK-based sales agent Film Seekers has scored theatrical deals on sci-fi thriller Blank, the debut feature of UK director Natalie Kennedy.
It has sold to Brainstorm Media for North America, Jetsen Huashi for China, M-Net for South Africa and Fabula for Turkey.
The title is produced by Rebecca-Clare Evans of KenMor Films, for Caged Film. It follows a desperate writer who signs up for an AI-operated retreat to cure her writer’s block. Heida Reed and Rachel Shelley star alongside US TV host Wayne Brady.
Browse Screen’s Cannes 2022 digital...
- 5/19/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Film Seekers Adds Sci-Fi To AFM Slate
Exclusive: UK sales agency Film Seekers has added sci-fi feature Blank to its slate ahead of the American Film Market. Set in the near future, the film is a portrait of a desperate writer wrestling with her buried past, who signs up for a fully A.I. operated retreat to cure her writer’s block. But when an unforeseen software glitch occurs, she gets trapped inside her unit with an unstable android and no communication with the outside world. It is the feature debut of director Natalie Kennedy and stars Heida Reed (Poldark), Rachel Shelley (The L Word) and Wayne Brady (Black Lightning). Pic was produced by Rebecca-Clare Evans of KenMor Films for Caged Film and Executive Produced by Lyndon Baldock of Templeheart Films in association with Marcia Do Vales of Enmar Productions.
Canada’s The Impact Series Adds 2 Features
Exclusive: Season 2 of The Impact Series,...
Exclusive: UK sales agency Film Seekers has added sci-fi feature Blank to its slate ahead of the American Film Market. Set in the near future, the film is a portrait of a desperate writer wrestling with her buried past, who signs up for a fully A.I. operated retreat to cure her writer’s block. But when an unforeseen software glitch occurs, she gets trapped inside her unit with an unstable android and no communication with the outside world. It is the feature debut of director Natalie Kennedy and stars Heida Reed (Poldark), Rachel Shelley (The L Word) and Wayne Brady (Black Lightning). Pic was produced by Rebecca-Clare Evans of KenMor Films for Caged Film and Executive Produced by Lyndon Baldock of Templeheart Films in association with Marcia Do Vales of Enmar Productions.
Canada’s The Impact Series Adds 2 Features
Exclusive: Season 2 of The Impact Series,...
- 10/29/2021
- by Tom Grater and Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Sci-fi drama “Blank” has wrapped filming and is now in post-production, with a first-look image released of the lead actresses. The movie stars “L Word” and “Deep State” actress Rachel Shelley, and “Poldark’s” Heida Reed. The cast also features U.S. star Wayne Brady, whose credits include “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “Let’s Make a Deal” and “How I Met Your Mother.”
“Blank” sees a desperate writer sign up for a fully A.I. operated retreat to cure her writer’s block, but when an unforeseen software glitch occurs, she gets trapped inside her unit with an unstable android and no communication with the outside world.
Shelley plays the writer, Claire Rivers, with Reed as ‘the A.I.,’ and Brady as the “host.” Jamie Lomas, Bhasker Patel, Rebecca-Clare Evans and Annie Cusselle (“The Silent Child”) round out the cast.
“Blank” marks the feature debuts of director Natalie Kennedy and writer Stephen Herman.
“Blank” sees a desperate writer sign up for a fully A.I. operated retreat to cure her writer’s block, but when an unforeseen software glitch occurs, she gets trapped inside her unit with an unstable android and no communication with the outside world.
Shelley plays the writer, Claire Rivers, with Reed as ‘the A.I.,’ and Brady as the “host.” Jamie Lomas, Bhasker Patel, Rebecca-Clare Evans and Annie Cusselle (“The Silent Child”) round out the cast.
“Blank” marks the feature debuts of director Natalie Kennedy and writer Stephen Herman.
- 7/26/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The company has been created by Bifa-winning producer Rebecca-Clare Evans and director Natalie Kennedy.
Natalie Kennedy’s debut feature Blank, a sci-fi film about a woman with writer’s block, will shoot from May 25 for nascent UK production company Kenmor Films.
Manchester-based KenMor Films is a new company created by Kennedy with producer Rebecca-Clare Evans. They previously collaborated on In Another Life, which won the Discovery award at the 2017 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) on which Kennedy was the camera operator and Evans the producer.
Blank, which is written by Stephen Herman, is being financed by Templeheart Films. It is...
Natalie Kennedy’s debut feature Blank, a sci-fi film about a woman with writer’s block, will shoot from May 25 for nascent UK production company Kenmor Films.
Manchester-based KenMor Films is a new company created by Kennedy with producer Rebecca-Clare Evans. They previously collaborated on In Another Life, which won the Discovery award at the 2017 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) on which Kennedy was the camera operator and Evans the producer.
Blank, which is written by Stephen Herman, is being financed by Templeheart Films. It is...
- 5/21/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
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