Horror movies, more than any other genre’s output, are notorious for sitting on production company shelves for a variety of reasons, not seeing proper releases until years after their production. Usually, a no-name actor will rise to some level of fame, and the film will get pulled out of limbo and shoved onto DVD trying to ride the coattails of that performer’s popularity. In the case of All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, however a one-two punch of bad circumstances sealed its temporary fate.
But now, seven years after its well-received debut at 2006’s Toronto Film Festival, the indie horror film All the Boys Love Mandy Lane is finally slashing its way into U.S. theaters for the first time. The Weinstein Company subsidiary Radius-TWC acquired the rights and plans a late summer release. The release comes soon after its director Jonathan Levine, for whom this was a first feature, released the surprise hit zom-rom-com Warm Bodies, which has made $89 million worldwide on a $35 million budget. Since Mandy Lane he's also made the affecting festival favorites The Wackness and 50/50.
Costing just $600,000, Mandy Lane 2006 TFF success immediately drew in The Weinstein Company, who dropped $3.5 million on the project only to suddenly drop it from their schedule. The film was picked up by Senator Entertainment US, a German company that also repeatedly pushed back the release before going bankrupt. Radiant-TWC’s Tom Quinn followed the film’s status since his years at Magnolia.
I've been chasing this film since I first saw it in Toronto. [Executive producer] Keith Calder and I have kept in touch over the years and he's finally been able to wrangle the film from a deal at Senator. Originally, Harvey and Bob beat us to it in Toronto and now we get to work together to finally bring MANDY LANE to U.S. audiences. This is one of the few horror films that has remained relevant and in the zeitgeist for years - - no easy feat - - and it still surpasses so much of what is being produced today.“
Levine was equally pleased, saying, “I am thrilled that Mandy Lane has been rescued and is back where it belongs with Harvey and Bob. Hard to believe it’s been seven years, but then again I’ve always perceived myself as a misunderstood artist who was light years ahead of his time, so I am thrilled the world has finally caught up. Seriously, I am incredibly proud of the film and of the hard work that my cast and collaborators put into it, and I am so happy the world will finally get a chance to see it.”
Mandy Lane tells the familiar tale of popular girl Mandy (Amber Heard) being invited to a remote ranch house for an end of the summer party, and then things go wrong and people get picked off one by one. Levine adds enough twists and turns to keep the material somewhat fresh, and his promise as a filmmaker is definitely present. The film also stars Anson Mount, Whitney Able, Michael Welch, Edwin Hodge, and Luke Grimes.
