Shudder has acquired Penny Lane Is Dead, the feature debut from writer-director Mia-Kate Russel. Presented as an homage to 1980s Ozploitation slashers, the film is set on a sweltering summer night in 1986 Australia and follows 17-year-old Penny Lane as a celebratory evening with friends turns deadly.
Premise and tone
The story centers on Penny Lane, who is marking her acceptance into college with lifelong friends. When a jealous cousin escalates a mean-spirited prank involving spiked cupcakes, the incident spirals into escalating bloodshed and a night driven by vengeance. The picture is described as mixing 80s horror nostalgia with dark comedy and furious energy.
Cast and release plan
- Sophia Wright-Mendelsohn
- Tahlee Fereday
- Alexandra Jensen
- Bailey Spalding
- Steve Le Marquand
- Fletcher Humphrys
- Ben O’Toole
The film will have its North American premiere at Fantasia Festival on July 20. Shudder has scheduled the streaming release for August 28.
Creative and distributor notes
Russel’s feature marks her transition to directing a full-length horror picture. In statements accompanying the acquisition, she expressed excitement about partnering with Shudder, while Shudder’s acquisitions leadership framed the film as a fierce, nostalgia-tinged slasher that balances dark humor with rage.
Penny Lane Is Dead positions itself within the contemporary revival of 80s-influenced genre films, in this case drawing specifically on Australian exploitation traditions for atmosphere and tone.
Source: Dread Central