Magnet Releasing has nabbed U.S. rights to “Officer Downe,” the debut feature from M. Shawn Crahan, Variety has learned.
The gritty sci-fi film follows a police officer who is repeatedly killed, resurrected, and sent back into the field thanks to some shadowy technology that essentially makes him immortal. It’s an adaptation of a 2010 graphic novel by Joe Casey and Chris Burnham, and stars Kim Coates of “Sons of Anarchy” fame. Magnet is the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures.
“Officer Downe” will debut in theaters and on-demand platforms on Nov. 18. It plans to tout the film at New York Comic-Con in a few weeks.
Crahan is best known by his stage name “Clown.” He is a musician, music producer, and artist, who co-founded and is a member of the Grammy-winning heavy metal band Slipknot.
The film got a positive response when it screened at the Los Angeles Film Festival last summer, with some fansites praising its B-movie vibe. Matt Donato at We Got This Covered, for instance, wrote that “At its best, ‘Officer Downe is sleaze-pop, Art Deco ultra-violence dealt by one badass, shit-kicking sonofabitch.” Fans of Merchant Ivory, consider yourself warned.
“Officer Downe” was written by Joe Casey, and produced by Mark Neveldine, Skip Williamson, Cole Payne, and Casey. Executive producers were Cory Brennan and Glenn D. Feig.
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The deal was negotiated by Magnolia Senior Vice President of Acquisitions John Von Thaden. The filmmakers were represented by CAA.
