‘The Little Stranger’ acquired by Focus Features
Focus Features has acquired worldwide rights to distribute Lenny Abrahamson’s The Little Stranger.
The deal was struck at the Marché du Film in Cannes earlier this month and includes distribution rights to The Little Stranger in all international markets, excluding the UK, France and Switzerland, where Pathé has climbed aboard to release. In Ireland, the film will be distributed by Element Pictures.
Billed as a supernatural thriller from Abrahamson (Frank, What Richard Did, Room), The Little Strangers will be written by Lucinda Coxon, based on Sarah Waters’ 2009 novel of the same name. Coxon previously wrote the screenplay for the Oscar-nominated adaptation of The Danish Girl (2015) starring Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything).
The Little Stranger is set in the aftermath of the Second World War, as Dr. Faraday visits a crumbling country estate owned by the Ayres family. The house is purported to be haunted by the malevolent ghost of their mother’s first-born daughter. As he attempts to tend to an ailing patient, Faraday finds himself becoming intertwined in both the family’s past and present.
“We’re thrilled to be working with Lenny, a filmmaker who has proven to redefine every genre he takes on”, commented Focus chairman Peter Kujawski. “We are excited to be partnering once again with our good friends at Pathé and Film4 on The Little Stranger, a classic ghost story to chill moviegoers”.
Potboiler Productions’ Andrea Calderwood and Gail Egan are producing, alongside Element Pictures’ Ed Guiney. Element’s Andrew Lowe, Pathé’s Cameron McCracken, Film4’s Daniel Battsek, Ingenious Media’s Tim O’Shea and Celine Haddad for the Irish Film Board serve as executive producers.
The flick stars Domhnall Gleeson (The Revenant, Ex Machina, About Time), Charlotte Rampling (Melancholia, Swimming Pool, The Duchess), Ruth Wilson (The Lone Ranger, Locke, Saving Mr. Banks), and Will Poulter (The Maze Runner, We’re the Millers).
Production will begin in the United Kingdom this summer, with The Little Stranger pegged for release in 2018.
Release Information
The film reached theaters on August 31, 2018 in the United States and September 21, 2018 in the United Kingdom. Those dates turned the original 2017 announcement into a completed release cycle rather than a future plan.
Cast and Production Details
Additional cast member Liv Hill joined the ensemble. The finished picture runs one hour and fifty-two minutes and carries an R rating, details that were still pending when the acquisition was first reported.
Critical Reception
Critics praised the atmospheric direction by Abrahamson and strong performances, particularly by Gleeson and Rampling. The film was described as a restrained gothic drama blending psychological elements with supernatural hints.
Box Office and Audience Response
Released widely in 2018 with moderate commercial performance typical of period dramas.
Home Media and Availability
Available for home viewing via major platforms following its theatrical run.
Comparison to Source Novel
The screenplay by Coxon adapts the novel’s themes of class, decay, and ambiguity.
The project now sits as a finished adaptation that moved from Cannes announcement to theatrical release without further franchise extensions. Its restrained approach to gothic material continues to draw viewers interested in literary adaptations that favor mood over spectacle.
