Horror

‘Rita’ – Shudder Acquires New Fantasy Fable from ‘La Llorona’ Filmmaker Jayro Bustamante

The writer/director behind the 2019 Golden Globe-nominated La Llorona, Jayro Bustamante, is back with another historical-based genre fable in Rita. Deadline reports today that Rita has been acquired by Shudder.

The film will be released on Shudder on November 22, 2024.

Rita follows a 13-year-old “who, while fleeing a neglectful household, is placed in an oppressive state-run orphanage. Rita’s arrival provides a glimmer of hope to the girls inside, who share a prophecy that an angel will appear to release them. Encouraged by one another, the girls plan an escape to claim their freedom and expose the orphanage’s abuses of power. Based on the true story behind one of Guatemala’s most harrowing tragedies — the orphanage fire of 2017, which took the lives of 41 girls — Rita shines a light on the brave orphans whose fight for survival inspired a nationwide outcry for justice and reform.”

Giuliana Santa Cruz, Alejandra Vasquez, Ángela Quevedo, Isabel Aldana, Sabrina De La Hoz, Margarita Kénefic and Maria Telón star. 

Bustamante, no stranger to filtering sociopolitical themes and history through the lens of genre film, went through an extensive national casting call to assemble the film’s cast of child actors.

“Working with Shudder from the beginning felt like the right connection, as I found a distributor that shares the belief that cinema is more than just entertainment or a commercial product,” Bustamante told Deadline. “Since we launched LA LLORONA, Shudder has shown a great ability to handle my films, making them available to viewers through various channels, recognizing that the genre in cinema can be used to generate a powerful, positive, and thought-provoking social impact.”

Stated Shudder’s SVP of Acquisitions and Production Emily Gotto, “We are so proud to continue our work with Jayro, who has proven time and again to be a fearless filmmaker whose dedication to his homeland has put a spotlight on the rich talent and complicated history of Guatemala. RITA again demonstrates Jayro’s deft handling of the horror genre as a catalyst for powerful storytelling, and we can’t wait for the film to leave an impact on audiences.”

Producers of the film include Bustamante, Jonathan King for Concordia Studio, and Gustavo Matheu.

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