“Slay Day,” a next-generation interactive horror film that puts audiences in control of who lives and dies, is heading for a wide theatrical release across approximately 1,000 interactive screens throughout North America on Feb. 12, 2027. That coincides with the Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day and Presidents’ Day mega-holiday weekend, a distribution plan that was revealed at CinemaCon during the CtrlMovie presentation to motion picture theatre owners and operators. The company says it will be one of the first-ever, large-scale rollouts of an interactive film.
The film hinges on a challenge: “Can you survive a high school dance when it turns deadly?” Set on Friday the 13th, 1987, in the picture-perfect town of Belle Falls, the story follows six teens preparing for their biggest night of the year – the Sadie Hawkins dance. But when the town exhumes the body of the real Sadie Hawkins to unravel the truth behind her killing spree 50 years earlier, a malevolent force returns to the town.
“Slay Day” uses CtrlMovie technology to transform the theatrical experience into an interactive event, with audiences voting in real time via their smartphones to steer the story across more than 50 decision points. Each choice shapes the fate of six central characters and seven additional characters, unlocking over 8,000 possible narrative outcomes. In other words, they decide who survives and who doesn’t make it to the final credits. The company says that means that no two screenings are ever the same. The hope is that will drive repeat viewings as audiences return to explore new paths and alternate endings that they might not have experienced before.
“What excited me about ‘Slay Day’ from the very beginning was the chance to pull audiences directly into the story,” said director John David Buxton. “It’s a high-energy, heightened throwback slasher, with a lot of love for the spirit of the ’80s — the music, the style, those perfectly timed needle drops — but instead of just watching a group of friends try to survive, you’re making the decisions with them. You feel the tension, you live with the consequences, and every screening plays out differently. It’s unpredictable, intense, and a lot of fun. I can’t wait to see how audiences play it — and who actually makes it out alive.”
Producer Mark Dragin adds, “You’re not just sitting next to someone on a date, you’re in it together trying to survive. People react, they debate, they second-guess each other in real time. Suddenly the theater isn’t quiet anymore, it’s alive. You feel the energy shift with every decision, and it turns a night at the movies into something you actually share with the entire audience.”
The company has wider ambitions. Paramount has two interactive CtrlMovie projects in development: “Girl Crazy,” a “seat-of-your-pants” psychological thriller, and “Alice Is Missing,” a “whodunnit” that is based on a role-playing board game of the same name. CtrlMovie also revealed in their CinemaCon presentation on Wednesday morning that they have an upcoming interactive feature film called “Nightmare Manor,” which will be shooting this summer. It’s the story of two sisters who fight for survival on opposite sides of the same cursed walls — one trapped inside Nightmare Manor, the other desperately trying to get back in.
“Slay Day,” which was shot in Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah, marks the directorial debut of Buxton. The screenplay is by Andrew Matisziw (“The Firm”), and the film is produced by Dragin (“Law & Order”), Michael Kagan (“Night Patrol”) and Scott C. Silver (“The Pyramid”). Eric Schneider, Angela Kay and Chaz Barsamian are the executive producers.
The ensemble cast includes Jayden Bartels (“Goosebumps”), Shelby Simmons (“Bunk’d”), Emma McNulty (“FBI: Most Wanted”), Caleb Brown (“Mother’s Day”), Luke Mullen (“V/H/S/99”), Corrado Martini (“Circles”) and Lyndon Smith (“National Treasure: Edge of History”). Casting was led by Danielle Aufiero and Amber Horn of Aufiero/Horn.
BasePoint Capital financed the picture, marking the first project under its partnership with Kino Industries’ CtrlMovie to bring audience-controlled cinema to global theaters.
The film will open domestically first, with international rollout plans to follow.
variety.com
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