Companion: Everything We Know About The Sci-Fi Horror Flick From The Barbarian Team
The last couple years have seen a veritable explosion of young talent on the horror scene. From Kyle Edward Ball ("Skinamarink") to Mariama Diallo ("Master") to Robbie Banfitch ("The Outwaters"); styles, scopes, and predilections vary wildly among this new crop, but only time will tell whose talents stand the test of time to become the new Jordan Peele, Jennifer Kent, or Robert Eggers.
One strong contender is Zach Cregger, the actor ("Whitest Kids U'Know") turned director who nailed the rare one-two punch of quality and surprise profitability last year with "Barbarian." After raking in roughly $45 million on $4.5 million budget, Cregger became Hollywood's hottest new investment, and a bidding war of epic proportions was launched for the rights to his next feature, "Weapons." New Line Cinema, a subsidiary of Warner Bros., eventually won with an eye-popping eight-figure deal that also included incentives to sweeten the deal that are unheard of in today's production landscape, including a guaranteed greenlight, a controlling interest in backend revenue, a guaranteed theatrical release, and a promise that Cregger will determine the final cut.
But all this isn't enough. Following in Peele's footsteps, Cregger is branching out into the role of producer in not one, but two additional projects in the pipeline, both also at New Line. "Occupant" is described as a "reverse haunted house story," and "Companion" isn't being described at all (these one-word titles really are all the rage, aren't they).
But what we do know of this last project makes it an instant contender for the list of the most anticipated upcoming horror movies. Here's everything we know so far about "Companion."
Who is directing and producing Companion?
As previously mentioned, Cregger will be seated in the producer's chair on "Companion." Cregger is rounded out by three additional producers, all heavy hitters. There is the notable production outfit Boulderlight Pictures, headed up by Raphael Margules and J.D. Lifshitz. "Barbarian" was a Boulderlight picture, and really typifies the slick, conceptual style, heavy on twists that they've been working toward since 2013's STI-horror flick, "Contracted."
The other producer attached to "Companion" is Roy Lee, a massive name in studio horror who you can almost singularly thank (or blame) for the reboot/remake craze that has had the genre by its neck for the better part of two decades. Via Vertigo Entertainment, Lee brought "Ringu" and "Ju-on" to America as "The Ring" and "The Grudge," helped get "Bates Motel" and "The Exorcist" TV series off the ground, and is also behind "Doctor Sleep," the new "It" franchise, and Spike Lee's wretched "Oldboy" remake. Since 2019, Roy Lee has been embroiled in an ugly legal battle with former associate John Powers Middleton, who has accused him of everything from fraud to breach of contract and unjust enrichment. Everyone needs their movie to be a hit, but Lee and co-producer Andrew Childs might really need a win on this one.
Taking on the role of director is Drew Hancock, who also wrote the screenplay. This will be Hancock's first directorial feature, but he previously made shorts on a regular basis for Channel 101, a Los Angeles-based monthly digital short film festival, and also has writing credits on the series "Blue Mountain State," "Suburgatory," and "My Dead Ex."
Who is starring in Companion?
As if the crew on "Companion" weren't bounteous enough, the cast is a whole feast. Heading up the cast is Jack Quaid, whose canned awkwardness and turgid charms seem the perfect fit for a Cregger project, given his penchant for anxious, claustrophobic, self-contained horror. If you've watched the Prime Video series "The Boys," you're aware that Quaid knows his way around a horror storyline. If you haven't, I've got two words for you: blood canon.
Rounding out the cast are three very different performers who each bring distinct and exciting flavors to this chilling melange. There is Harvey Guillén, a veteran of the small screen ("The Magicians," "Harley Quinn," "What We Do in the Shadows") whose small but mighty film resume includes roles in the upcoming Marvel movie "Blue Beetle" and the queer horror romp "Werewolves Within," the best-reviewed video game ever. Megan Suri might be most well known for her recurring role in Mindy Kaling's surprisingly poignant examination of grief, "Never Have I Ever." But she recently starred in two horror projects that give glimpses of the kind of work she'll likely turn in on "Companion." The films are "Missing" — the sequel to screenlife thriller "Searching" — and "It Lives Inside," a folk horror that won the Midnighters Audience Award at this SXSW this year. Finally there's Lukas Gage, who you'll definitely know from a scene I won't describe towards the end of "The White Lotus" season 1. Gage has also given fantastic performances in recent films like "How to Blow Up A Pipeline" and the "Into the Dark" film "Midnight Kiss."
Plot details are being kept strictly under wraps for the time being, and a release date for "Companion" has not been set. But as soon as things change, we'll update you.