Ahead of its Spanish premiere at the 2024 Sitges Film Festival, Shudder have acquired the North American, UK, and Ireland rights to Sasha Rainbow’s satirical body horror Grafted, which will release on the horror streamer on January 24, 2025.
Starring Joyena Sun, Jess Hong, and Jared Turner, Grafted is Rainbow's feature debut, and follows:
… Chinese scholarship student Wei, who travels to New Zealand to study medical research at a prestigious university. Shy, introverted, and hiding a genetic facial birthmark, Wei is shunned by her social butterfly cousin Angela and her glamorous friends.
Determined to change her fate, Wei immerses herself in her late father's research, working on a revolutionary skin grafting procedure that could cure her deformity. As her experiments take a dark turn, she becomes more dangerous and unhinged, willing to eliminate anyone who threatens her secret.
Alongside Rainbow, Grafted was written by Mia Maramara, Hweiling Ow and Lee Murray.
In today's new press release from Shudder, Rainbow had this to say of the exciting acquisition:
“Partnering with Shudder is a dream come true—for those of us who like our dreams dark and full of twists, and there’s no better place to unleash Grafted than with the curators of terror themselves. I can’t wait for their fearless audience to sink their teeth into this one and experience Wei’s wild and bloody pursuit of perfection.”
Emily Gotto, Shudder’s SVP of Acquisitions and Production, adds:
“Sasha Rainbow’s bold and brave work in her short form and documentary work has transitioned seamlessly into her impressive debut feature, […] It’s no surprise that GRAFTED is gripping, slicing past a high body count with a highly original take on the body horror subgenre with sharp social commentary that strikes a nerve.”
Female-directed body horror continues to thrive, with Grafted looking set to join the ranks of Julia Ducournau's Titane, Mimi Cave's Fresh and of course Coralie Fargeat's The Substance as body horrors that specifically tackle the female experience.
Check out Grafted on January 24, 2025, and we'll bring you updates and trailers as they roll in.
