Sundance Deals: WWE, Blumhouse Partner to Acquire Thriller ‘Sleight’

Film is directorial debut for J.D. Dillard, who also wrote the script along with Alex Theurer

WWE Studios and Blumhouse Productions have partnered to acquire the worldwide rights to the thriller “Sleight” at The Sundance Film Festival.

BH Tilt, a division of Blumhouse run by John Hegeman, will oversee the marketing of the film, as well as its release. WWE Studios is set to use its weekly TV shows, digital and social media platforms as well as the WWE Network to market the film.

“Sleight” is the directorial debut for J.D. Dillard, who also wrote the script along with Alex Theurer. The film stars Jacob Latimore (“Maze Runner”), Dule Hill (“Ballers”) and Seychelle Gabriel (“Falling Skies”). It is produced by Diablo Entertainment’s Eric B. Fleischman, Sean Tabibian and Theurer.

Set in Los Angeles, the thriller is a combination of science fiction and street magic.

“We love low budget filmmaking because it allows directors to take creative risks and that is exactly what J.D. Dillard did with ‘Sleight,’ a truly original and unique movie,” said Blumhouse Founder and CEO Jason Blum. “We are excited to once again collaborate with Michael and WWE Studios, and to have BH Tilt continue to take advantage of the evolution of digital marketing.”

Bradley Buchanan negotiated the deal on behalf of WWE Studios. CAA brokered the deal on behalf of Diablo and Dillard and Theurer.

Comments