Brande Roderick’s 70s Horror Throwback WINEVILLE picked up by Dark Star Pictures

Dark Star Pictures has acquired the US and Canadian rights to Brande Roderick’s wine-soaked horror film Wineville going into the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. The directorial debut from director/producer/star Roderick (Starsky and Hutch, Baywatch), Dark Star Pictures is planning a September 2024 release of the film in select theaters, followed by VOD/Digital and Physical Media.

Set in the 70s, Wineville follows Tess (Brande Roderick), who is forced to return to the California winery that was her childhood home following the death of her brutal and abusive father. Now a single mom raising her 11-year-old son, Tess dreads setting foot again in the house filled with hateful and painful memories. Once there she is immediately confronted by her bitter and unforgiving aunt, who runs the place with her adult son. However, while trying to sort out her inheritance and dealing with an attraction to the mercurial young ranch hand, a violent murder reveals the evil still just below the surface there. In order to escape once again and save both herself and her boy, Tess will need to uncover the horrible truth of her own past and the roots of the murderous legacy that has been unleashed once again.

Additional cast include Carolyn Hennesy (General Hospital, Cougar Town), Texas Battle (Hard Kill, Coach Carter), Casey King (Star Trek: Pickard) and introducing Keaton Roderick Cadrez. Wineville was written by Richard Schenkman (The Man From Earth), who also produced alongside Roderick, Robin DeMartino, and Todd Slater. 

“We are so thrilled to be working with Dark Star Pictures, whose expertise in, and enthusiasm for the genre makes them the perfect home for this genuinely disturbing film,” said Roderick. “Wineville was influenced by 70s horror classics like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Last House on the Left, as I wanted my first feature to be not only in the horror genre that I loved so much growing up, but to also pay homage to the flavor and style of that decade’s films that made such an impact on me.”

The deal was negotiated by Convoke Media’s Todd Slater on behalf of the filmmakers and Michael Repsch on behalf of Dark Star Pictures.