By MICHAEL GINGOLD
No sooner were the Midnight titles for the next Sundance Film Festival announced than word came down that one of them has distribution.
Shudder has announced its acquisition of North American, UK and Australia/New Zealand rights to THE UGLY STEPSISTER, the feature debut of Norwegian writer/director Emilie Blichfeldt. The streamer will release the movie in 2025. Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Ane Dahl Torp, Flo Fagerli, Isac Calmroth and Malte Gårdinger star; the synopsis: “A sinister twist on the classic Cinderella story, THE UGLY STEPSISTER follows Elvira as she prepares to earn the prince’s affection at any cost. In a kingdom where beauty is a brutal business, Elvira will compete with the beautiful and enchanting Agnes to become the belle of the ball.”
“I am beyond thrilled to bring THE UGLY STEPSISTER to Sundance,” Blichfeldt says, “and ultimately to a wider audience alongside my incredible team and in partnership with Shudder. This beauty horror twist on Cinderella is inspired by the Brothers Grimm version and by my own struggles with body image. My goal is to provoke both empathy and discomfort, and inspire audiences to reflect upon their perceptions of, and relationship to, beauty.”
“THE UGLY STEPSISTER turns a classic fairy tale inside out with twisted depictions of shocking burlesque body horror at its best,” said SVP of Shudder acquisitions and production Emily Gotto. “Emilie Blichfeldt’s first-time feature is an astonishing accomplishment, and we’re proud to debut her film on Shudder later next year.”
