Director Johannes Roberts is managing to stay busy and is keeping his winning streak alive. As reported by Deadline, the filmmaker behind movies like 47 Meters Down and The Other Side of the Door has lined up his next project in the form of an original horror film titled The Not Polly. The movie is headed to the American Film Market, with Bankside Films launching international sales. They are wasting little time, as production is set to begin before the year’s end.
The idea originated with producer and music executive Yasushi Akimoto. He is prolific in Japan but recently decided to take his talents to North America. Jade Pettyjohn (Little Fires Everywhere, Destroyer) is set to take on the lead role of Polly. As for what she’s getting herself into? The synopsis reads as follows:
“Jade Pettyjohn is set to star in the movie as Polly, the most popular and most beautiful girl in school, who wakes up after a party to find that she is trapped in a morgue, apparently dead, with no reflection, no pulse and no heartbeat. To make matters worse, she has been possessed.”
Roberts has been working consistently and seemingly non-stop for about a decade now. Most recently, he helmed a segment in V/H/S/99, which recently debuted on Shudder as the follow-up to the hit V/H/S/94. Prior to that, Roberts directed last year’s Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, which followed The Strangers: Prey at Night and 47 Meters Down: Uncaged. So yeah, the man has been busy. Roberts had this to say about it:
“I’m so excited to be working with Bankside and the whole team on this project as they truly get my twisted vision! I can’t wait for an audience to experience this darkly comic yet terrifying film.”
Akimoto had this to add:
“It all started from an idea. What if one of the bodies at the morgue woke up and started searching for the truth. I wanted to make this concept into a horror movie. I am already very excited knowing Johannes Roberts of 47 Meters Down will be directing my original story.”
Lastly, Stephen Kelliher of Bankside Films added the following:
“The Not Polly is a completely original and hugely entertaining take on a horror story which audiences are going to have lot of fun with. Johannes has proven time and again that he knows how to connect with broad audiences at the international box office and The Not Polly is set to be his next big hit.”
The Not Polly does not yet have a release date set, but you can watch V/H/S/99 right now on Shudder. Click below to watch now:
