EXCLUSIVE: Mammoth Pictures has inked a deal out of Cannes with the Bulgarian production company Bazuka to exclusively develop and produce a narrative feature take on the cultural tradition spotlighted in Kukeri, their documentary short produced for The New Yorker which was just unveiled at the beginning of the month. (View it above.)
Set to direct the as-yet-untitled new film, described as a folkloric horror thriller, is Mammoth’s Kourosh Ahari (Parallel).
Helmed by Killian Lassablière, the Bazuka doc spotlights an enigmatic Bulgarian tradition known as “Surva” that has united small villages across the country once a year for centuries — a festival that has residents known as “Kukeri” dress up in otherworldly costumes in the hopes of driving away evil spirits. The animalistic costumes, covering most of the body, are often made from the fur and skins of goats or sheep, and can also include toothed wooden masks — sometimes, peppered with horns, and sometimes, double-faced — with large bells attached to the belt.
Though there is mystery surrounding the origins of the Surva tradition, including why and when it came to be, historians date the first known reference to the tradition around 1,500 years ago. Still, it’s believed to go back even farther than that, and continues to be practiced in Bulgaria every year. Some Kukeri have said they can’t explain where the desire to participate comes from, but describe it as “innate” and “in their veins,” something they’ve dreamed of taking part in since childhood.
Plot details as the narrative feature are under wraps, though it will look to present an authentic representation of the beliefs and practices of the Kukeri, as well as of their wardrobe. Ahari, Alex Bretow and Alexis Brontë will produce for Mammoth Pictures, alongside Bazuka’s Eddy Schwartz and Edward Michongwe, who produced the New Yorker piece.
“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Eddy and Edward and the talented team at Bazuka on this exceptional material. The Kukeri and Surva tradition absolutely captivated us from the moment it caught our attention,” said Mammoth’s Ahari, Bretow and Brontë in a joint statement. “Bringing such a culturally important and unique tradition surrounded by so much mystery and intrigue to the screen is incredibly exciting, and exactly the kind of project we’re looking for at Mammoth.”
Added Schwartz and Michongwe, “We are excited to collaborate with Mammoth Pictures on a narrative feature film project based on the Kukeri performers and tradition of Surva. This tradition has profound potential to translate into an exciting film with fascinating storytelling and a breathtaking visual approach.”
Established in 2016, Mammoth Pictures most recently produced the sci-fi thriller Parallel, a remake of Lei Zheng’s award-winning Chinese film Parallel Forest, starring Danielle Deadwyler, Aldis Hodge and Edwin Hodge, which Ahari directed from a script by the Hodges and Jonathan Keasey. The film exec produced for Mammoth by Bretow was recently picked up by Vertical for release in theaters later this year. Other recent projects from the company include IFC Midnight’s Ahari-helmed horror thriller The Night, starring Cannes Best Actor winner Shahab Hosseini (The Salesman), which made history as the first American-produced film to receive a formal wide theatrical release in Iran since the Iranian revolution more than 40 years ago, and the short film Generations backed by Tom Hanks.
Mammoth also recently acquired film and TV rights to Diary of a Murderer, the bestselling Korean novella from Young-ha Kim. The first production under the deal will be a film written by Henry Chaisson (Antlers) and directed by Ahari, which Bretow and Brontë will produce.
The deal for the new narrative feature project was negotiated directly between Mammoth and Bazuka. Ahari is repped by Paradigm, Rain Management and McKuin Frankel Whitehead; Mammoth Pictures by Paradigm.