Cineverse Acquires North American Rights to Wolf Creek: Legacy, the Hotly Anticipated Third Installment of the Outback Slasher Franchise, From Architect Global

Rhea-AI Summary

Cineverse (NASDAQ: CNVS) and its horror division Bloody Disgusting have acquired North American rights to Wolf Creek: Legacy, the third installment of the slasher franchise. The film, set to begin filming this year with a planned theatrical release in fall 2026, will feature John Jarratt reprising his role as Mick Taylor.

The movie will be directed by Sean Lahiff and produced by franchise creator Greg McLean alongside Bianca Martino. The plot follows American tourists whose children become stranded and hunted in the Australian wilderness after their parents sacrifice themselves. The production team includes notable producers Jeremy Bolt (Resident Evil franchise) and Kristian Moliere (The Babadook).

Positive

• Strategic expansion of horror content library alongside other notable titles
• Acquisition of rights to established franchise with proven market success
• Planned theatrical release provides potential revenue stream

Negative

• Extended timeline to revenue generation with release not until fall 2026
• Financial terms of acquisition not disclosed

Insights

Media Industry Analyst

This acquisition marks a calculated expansion of Cineverse's horror portfolio, particularly significant given the company's 72.7M market capitalization. The Wolf Creek franchise has historically demonstrated strong performance in both theatrical and ancillary markets, making this a strategic addition to their content library.

The horror genre has shown remarkable resilience and profitability, with successful franchises typically generating strong returns on investment through multiple revenue streams. Key financial considerations include:

• Theatrical potential in North America, where horror films have maintained consistent box office performance even in challenging market conditions
• Secondary market value through streaming and digital distribution, particularly important given Cineverse's digital-first strategy
• Franchise extension opportunities through potential spin-off series or related content

The involvement of producers from the Resident Evil franchise (which has generated over 1.2B globally) and The Babadook suggests a production strategy aimed at balancing commercial appeal with critical credibility. This approach typically results in stronger performance across all distribution channels.

The fall 2026 release timing is strategically positioned to capitalize on the horror genre's traditional strong performance during the Halloween season, while allowing sufficient time for high-quality production and marketing build-up. For Cineverse, this represents a significant opportunity to strengthen its market position in the horror space, though it also carries execution risks given the company's size relative to the investment required for theatrical distribution.

John Jarratt Reprises His Role as Mick Taylor, the Crocodile Dundee of Serial Killers!

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cineverse (NASDAQ: CNVS), a next-generation entertainment studio, and Bloody Disgusting, its horror division, have announced today the acquisition of Wolf Creek: Legacy, the third film of the incredibly popular slasher franchise. The announcement was made ahead of the European Film Market (EFM). Filming begins this year with an anticipated theatrical release in the fall of 2026.

John Jarratt will reprise his role as the infamous Outback Killer, Mick Taylor. The cast will also include Jay Ryan and Laura Gordon.

Sean Lahiff (Carnifex) will direct while franchise creator Greg McLean will produce, alongside Bianca Martino, for Emu Creek Pictures. Lahiff is a frequent McLean collaborator serving as editor on Wolf Creek 2 and the accompanying Wolf Creek TV series.

Wolf Creek: Legacy follows a family of American tourists who wander innocently into Mick Taylor's (Jarratt) hunting grounds. When the parents sacrifice themselves to save their children, the kids find themselves alone, lost and hunted in the vast Australian wilderness.

McLean, the director of the previous Wolf Creek films, will produce alongside Jeremy Bolt (Resident Evil franchise) and Kristian Moliere (The Babadook), with Adrian Speckert and Cory Todd Hughes serving as Executive Producers.

Greg McLean; "I'm thrilled to be returning to Wolf Creek with this exciting creative team, led by director Sean Lahiff, armed with a fantastic and genuinely frightening script. Mick Taylor will be terrorizing tourists, horror fans and the big screen once again very soon!"

"Wolf Creek is one of the greatest slasher movies of all time with one of the most terrifying villains," said Erick Opeka, Cineverse's Chief Strategy Officer and President. "We're incredibly excited to bring Mick Taylor back to the big screen in what will be the perfect addition to our library alongside Terrifier 3 and our reimagining of Silent Night, Deadly Night."

"Wolf Creek was a terrifying, Texas Chain Saw-inspired nightmare that left an undeniable mark on the genre," added Brad Miska, VP of Bloody Disgusting for Cineverse. "As a longtime fan, I couldn't be more excited to be part of Wolf Creek: Legacy and to help bring the franchise back to theaters. Get ready—Mick Taylor is back, and the outback has never been more dangerous."

Sean Lahiff: "Wolf Creek: Legacy will add a new chapter to the Wolf Creek saga and Mick Taylor's iconic path of destruction. It will be a raw and gritty chase across the outback, and I can't wait to unleash this bold and terrifying cinematic experience on longtime fans and newcomers to the franchise."

The deal was negotiated by Executive Director, Acquisitions, Brandon Hill on behalf of Cineverse with Calum Gray of Architect Global

About Cineverse Entertainment

Cineverse super-serves passionate audiences by distributing content across all windows and platforms, from theatrical to digital to physical. This most recently includes the breakout box office success Terrifier 3 and the upcoming reimagined features in the Silent Night Deadly Night and The Toxic Avenger franchises.

About Cineverse

Cineverse (Nasdaq: CNVS) is a next-generation entertainment studio that empowers creators and entertains fans with a wide breadth of content through the power of technology. It has developed a new blueprint for delivering entertainment experiences to passionate audiences and results for its partners with unprecedented efficiency, and distributes more than 71,000 premium films, series, and podcasts. Cineverse connects fans with bold, authentic, independent stories. Properties include the highest-grossing unrated film in U.S. history; dozens of streaming fandom channels; a premier podcast network; top horror destination Bloody Disgusting; and more. Powering visionary storytelling with cutting-edge innovation, Cineverse's proprietary streaming tools and AI technology drive revenue and reach to redefine the next era of entertainment. For more information, visit home.cineverse.com.

CONTACTS:

For Media, The Lippin Group for Cineverse
cineverse@lippingroup.com 

For Investors, Julie Milstead
investorrelations@cineverse.com

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SOURCE Cineverse Corp.

FAQ

When will Wolf Creek: Legacy be released in theaters under CNVS distribution?

Wolf Creek: Legacy is scheduled for theatrical release in fall 2026.

What are the North American distribution rights acquired by CNVS for Wolf Creek: Legacy?

Cineverse acquired the North American rights to distribute Wolf Creek: Legacy, the third installment in the Wolf Creek franchise.

Who will direct and produce Wolf Creek: Legacy under CNVS?

Sean Lahiff will direct the film, while franchise creator Greg McLean will produce alongside Bianca Martino for Emu Creek Pictures.

How does the Wolf Creek acquisition fit into CNVS's content strategy?

The acquisition adds to Cineverse's horror library alongside other titles like Terrifier 3 and Silent Night, Deadly Night, strengthening their horror content portfolio.