IFC Midnight Acquires Wil Wheaton Film Rent-A-Pal
IFC Midnight has gained it’s rich reputation for horror excellence by procuring a number of indy horror hits. From Pyewacket to the more recent The Other Lamb IFC Midnight picks well. That eye for excellent independent horror has me excited about their newest announcement.
IFC Midnight is acquiring North American rights to retro Tinder nightmare RENT-A-PAL written and directed by Jon Stevenson, starring Brian Landis Folkins (Hoax), Wil Wheaton (Stand By Me, Star Trek – The Next Generation), Kathleen Brady (Breaking Bad), and Amy Rutledge (Neighbor). Inspired by real-life VHS tape ‘RENT-A-FRIEND: THE ORIGINAL VIDEO COMPANION’, a response to loneliness in the analog era.
RENT-A-PAL was produced by Annie Elizabeth Baker, Jimmy Weber, Jon Stevenson of Pretty People Pictures, alongside J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules of BoulderLight Pictures. IFC Midnight will release the film in September 2020.
Set in 1990, a lonely bachelor named David (Brian Landis Folkins) searches for an escape from the day-to-day drudgery of caring for his aging mother (Kathleen Brady). While seeking a partner through a video dating service, he discovers a strange VHS tape called Rent-A-Pal. Hosted by the charming and charismatic Andy (Wil Wheaton), the tape offers him much-needed company, compassion, and friendship. But, Andy’s friendship comes at a cost, and David desperately struggles to afford the price of admission.
“It’s an honor to have my directorial debut released on IFC Midnight. Their history of high-quality genre entertainment has directly inspired my work. To now be a part of their rich film library is surreal. I look forward to working with their team in releasing Rent-A-Pal. This movie is near and dear to my heart and I’m truly excited for the world to see it. And for the world to see a very different side of Wil Wheaton.”
Director Jon Stevenson
We will have new horror at the end of the summer. If IFC Midnight has another hit with Rent-A-Pal things might just feel normal again.
Tyler has been the editor in chief of Signal Horizon since its conception. He is also the Director of Monsters 101 at Truman State University a class that pairs horror movie criticism with survival skills to help middle and high school students learn critical thinking. When he is not watching, teaching or thinking about horror he is the Director of Debate and Forensics at a high school in Kansas City, Missouri.