According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount has successfully nabbed worldwide distribution rights to the upcoming horror romance titled My Animal, which will be led by The Hate U Give star Amandla Stenberg. The acquisition comes ahead of the film’s world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in January.
“Set in a small northern town, the film follows Heather, an outcast teenage hockey goalie, who falls for the town’s newcomer, an alluring but tormented figure skater,” reads the synopsis. “As their relationship deepens, Heather’s growing desires clash with her darkest secret, forcing her to control the animal within.”
My Animal is directed by Jacqueline Castel from a screenplay written by Jae Matthews. Co-leading Castel’s feature directorial debut with Stenberg is Bobbi Salvör Menuez (Under the Silver Lake). In addition to starring, both of them are also serving as executive producers. The film is produced by Andrew Bronfman and Michael Solomon.
“Bobbi and Amandla were my first choices when we began casting My Animal — the synchronicity of their dual commitment is the kind of magically aligned rarity that a director always dreams of,” Castel said in a statement. “Finding our home at Paramount completed the circle, their trust and support has been extremely meaningful.”
This marks Stenberg’s latest venture into the horror genre following her leading role in A24’s Bodies, Bodies, Bodies. She is currently in production for Lucasfilm’s upcoming Star Wars series The Acolyte.