EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate and BuzzFeed reveal details of their third film, Dear David.
The supernatural thriller was originally created on New Line with Dan Lin as the producer, but we can reveal that the project is now the next production on Lionsgate and the big slate of BuzzFeed.
Based on a true story and one of the first urban legends on Twitter, Dear David will tell the story of Adam Ellis, a former BuzzFeed employee and social media content creator who is haunted by the ghost of a boy possessed by a demonic entity. In 2018, Ellis tweeted about his experiences with the ghost he called “Dear David” went viral, gaining more than a million followers on the platform.
The film will be directed by John McPhail, who made his debut in the zombie horror comedy in 2017 Anna and the Apocalypse. The screenplay is by Mike Van Waes. We hear that shooting is imminent with the final cast locked up now.
The rerun is being done by Richard Alan Reid, Head of Global Content & Head of BuzzFeed Studios, along with Jason Moring, Michael Philip and Naysun Alae-Carew. Lin (The Lego movie) and Rideback Jonathan Eirich will be executive producers along with Evan Turner. Lionsgate’s international sales team was selling the film at the recent virtual AFM.
Lauren Bixby, Vice President, Co-Productions & Acquisitions for Lionsgate, said:Dear David is a terribly creepy and shocking story that will be perfectly translated on the big screen. It fulfills our goal of reaching the global audience of Millennial and Gen Z, highlighting modern, authentic new voices. “
“Ellis’ story captivated audiences all over the Internet and created a passionate, global fan base awaiting the film adaptation. “We look forward to bringing this long-awaited, painful story to the big screen of time,” BuzzFeed’s Reid added.
Dear David will be the third movie from BuzzFeed and Lionsgate partnership, following 1ΠΑΝΩ, the comedy starring Ruby Rose, and My fake friend, a romantic comedy starring Keiynan Lonsdale, Dylan Sprouse and Sarah Hyland.
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