“I think it’s in good hands with them — I really like the Magnolia team, and we’ve worked well together in the past,” Benjamin told The Era on Wednesday.
“The Magnolia/Magnet team released the first film I ever produced, and I couldn’t be happier to reunite with them for my first full feature as a director,” she said.
Benjamin made her collaborative directorial debut in the anthology “Southbound,” which had its world premier in 2015 at the Toronto International Film Festival.
She was last in the director’s chair for “Don’t Fall,” part of Magnolia Pictures’ all-women-helmed horror anthology “XX,” which premiered in the Midnight section at Sundance Film Festival last year.
Benjamin also served double-duty on “XX,” co-writing and producing the segment “The Birthday Party” for musician-turned-director Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent.
“Roxanne has written a truly inventive, edge-of-your-seat script with ‘Body at Brighton Rock,’” said Magnolia president Eamonn Bowles in a statement. “When we read it, we leapt at the opportunity to work with her again.”
Produced by Christopher Alender, Benjamin and David A. Smith, the film will be released later this year with sales starting at next month’s European Film Market.
Alender, CEO of Soapbox Films, commented on the acquisition saying, “Roxanne Benjamin is one of the most exciting new filmmakers out there.
“Her quirky, smart and often retro instincts mesh perfectly with the elevated genre we are producing here at Soapbox Films,” Alender continued. “We are extremely proud of ‘Body at Brighton Rock,’ our third feature film collaboration with Roxanne.”
A recent feature article by Variety Magazine lauds, “Benjamin is a rising star in the horror world.”
Meeting such success isn’t always easy, however. Benjamin said getting the right shots while filming “Body at Brighton Rock” wasn’t just a walk in the park.
“Shooting outdoors is always challenging,” Benjamin related. “For this one, we were on the side of a mountain at a high elevation (in) the Santa Ana’s in winter, and they shut power off to the entire town for two days due to severe wind and fire danger.”
It’s possible her outdoorsy resourcefulness on set may stem from her upbringing in rural Pennsylvania — and it certainly gave her artistic inspiration.
“Growing up in the woods around Bradford definitely helps for coming up with horror movie ideas,” she laughed. “Oh, I’d also add I’ve always wanted to shoot a movie back home in the BFD!”
“Body at Brighton Rock” stars Karina Fontes, who previously worked with Benjamin on “Southbound” as the park ranger.
The supporting cast includes Casey Adams (“Blindspotting,” “XX”), Emily Althaus and Matt Peters (both of “Orange is the New Black”), John Getz (“Zodiac”), Miranda Bailey (“Diary of a Teenage Girl”) and Susan Burke (“Southbound”).
The deal was negotiated by Magnolia SVP of Acquisitions John Von Thaden and Magnolia EVP Dori Begley with the producers. Magnolia head of international sales Lorna Lee Sagebiel-Torres will be representing the film at Berlin’s European Film Market, where its international rights will be available.
Magnolia’s previous credits include “Let the Right One In,” “Centurion” and “13 Assassins.”
