Horror film enthusiasts rejoice! Jason Blum, the creative force behind Blumhouse, which brought you Paranormal Activity and Insidious, is releasing his latest encounter with the supernatural, Oculus, April 11, 2014.
The thriller Oculus is directed by Mike Flanagan and co-written by Flanagan and Jeff Howard. It has been expanded from a 2006 short film, Oculus: The Man With The Plan, which was adapted from a short story by Flanagan and Jeff Seidman. Oculus: The Man With The Plan won raves on the festival circuit.
Oculus had its world premiere at the 2013 Toronto Film Festival to solid reviews. A young family moves into an old house that contains a 300 year old mirror. The Dad, played by Argo’s Rory Cochrane, hangs the mirror in his office. It’s not long before he’s talking to imaginary people and he and his wife, played by Katee Sackoff (Riddick), end up dead. Their young ten-year-old son is accused of the crime and is sent to a mental institution. Their young daughter is sent into foster care. When the son, played by Blue Lagoon’s Brenton Thwaites, is released from the institution he is almost 21. He is reunited with his sister, played by Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy, Dr. Who) who is convinced the crime was committed by a malevolent spirit living in the mirror. Together, the siblings set out to locate and destroy the demon that they believe killed their parents, and numerous others (both past and present) who have encountered the supernatural force.
Oculus is presently enjoying a 100% satisfaction rating on Rotten Tomatoes (albeit with a limited number of reviews at this point). It will debut in theaters April 11, 2014. Trevor Macy and Marc D. Evans produced along with Blumhouse and Relativity.
Next up for Brenton Thwaites is the Jeff Bridges adaptation of Lois Lowry’s classic novel The Giver that opens August 15, 2014.
Watch the Trailer for Oculus here: