EXCLUSIVE: Vertical has acquired U.S. rights to The Cure, a horror thriller starring David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil), Ashley Greene (Twilight), and newcomer Samantha Cochran, slating it for release in select theaters and on demand in 2026.
In November 2024, we were first to report on The Cure, which follows Ally Braun (Cochran), an adopted 16-year-old suffering from a mysterious illness who discovers her biotech billionaire parents (Dastmalchian & Greene) are harvesting her blood for sinister purposes.
Nancy Leopardi directed the film from a script by Jonathan Bernstein and James Greer, who penned Steven Soderbergh’s Unsane. Leopardi also produced alongside Bo Youngblood, John Ierardi, and Natalie Marciano, with Vaneast Pictures currently repping the project for international sales at AFM.
The Cure‘s cast also includes Sydney Taylor (American Born Chinese), Tyler Lawrence Gray (Wolfpack), and Dylan Flashner (Running on Empty).
In her statement to Deadline surrounding production on the film, Leopardi called it “a satirical take on the modern billionaire class cloaked in a crowd-pleasing thriller.”
The director added, “The Cure is made in the tradition of classic horror and sci-fi films that are inspired by terrifying socio-political realities and advances in bio-technology. Like Ex Machina, A.I., and Videodrome, I believe we are on the cusp of a revolution in science and the big question is – who will benefit?”
Gersh negotiated the filmmakers in the deal.
