“A Kid Like Jake” director Silas Howard will direct an LGBTQ-focused horror film “Moonshadow” for Gunpowder & Sky, the content studio announced Monday.
Gunpower & Sky will partner with YOMYOMF and Nonetheless Productions to develop the film. Ernesto Foronda (“Better Luck Tomorrow”) and Daniel Foerster wrote the screenplay for “Moonshadow,” which was inspired by Daniel Foerster’s own experience with LGBTQ conversation therapy. The film will chronicle a transgender teen who is sent to a science-based conversation camp, where he quickly learns the youth are being transformed into something non-human.
“With a battle over transgender rights playing out on the national stage, and as a member and advocate of the trans community, I feel it is critical to be a part of the conversation,” said Howard. “The current generation of young people is living with entirely new expectations about gender and sexuality, and ‘Moonshadow’ is for them.”
Howard’s other credits include “Pose” and “Transparent.”
Philip W. Chung, YOMYOMF’s creative director added, “What’s compelling about this project is that it works as a purely entertaining horror film that fans of the genre can enjoy on its own terms, while also providing insight into the struggles facing the trans community today. The most interesting horror films share a subversive streak; they use their fictional horrors to comment on the horrors of our real world and with our talented ‘Moonshadow’ collaborators, we hope to continue that tradition.”
“When we first started developing ‘Moonshadow’ with Daniel, we knew this was a very important story,” said Ki Jin Kim and Giulia Caruso of Nonetheless Productions. “We are honored Daniel trusted us with it, and proud to be part of an incredible team who shares our sense of urgency and believes in the transformative power of this kind of work.”
Recently, Gunpowder & Sky acquired the domestic rights to Alex Ross Perry’s “Her Smell” starring Elisabeth Moss, and also recently announced a partnership with Zelda Williams to adapt her short film, “Shrimp,” into a series.