The Montreal genre festival has secured two highly anticipated titles for its upcoming edition - the Cannes sensation 'Count of Monte-Cristo' and the Kit Harrington-led thriller 'The Beast Within.' Kicking off the festivities in 2024, the Fantasia Film Festival promises a world premiere for 'Bookworm,' a captivating tale starring Elijah Wood and Nell Fisher, helmed by New Zealand filmmaker Ant Timpson. This indie gem reunites Wood with his 'Come to Daddy' director Timpson, marking a return to New Zealand for the 'Lord of the Rings' alum.
In 'Bookworm,' Fisher shines as a 12-year-old girl whose serene life is turned upside down by the unexpected arrival of her long-absent American magician father (Wood). Together, they embark on a perilous camping trip into the rugged New Zealand wilderness, in search of a mythical beast that leads them into increasingly absurd and treacherous adventures.
The lineup for Fantasia's 28th edition is further enriched with an array of other exciting new titles. Among them are the world premières of Alexander J. Farrell's 'The Beast Within,' starring Kit Harrington, Isaac Ezban's dystopian coming-of-age tale 'Parvulos,' and Vivieno Caldinelli's 'Scared Shitless,' featuring Steven Ogg and Daniel Doheny.
International premières are also set to thrill audiences, including Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte's Cannes hit 'The Count of Monte-Cristo' and Matthew Fifer's 'Haze,' starring David Pittu and Brian J. Smith.
As the Montreal genre festival unveiled its second wave of titles on Friday, Fantasia also announced a career tribute to Vincenzo Natali, the visionary director of 'Cube.' His illustrious filmography also includes 'Spice,' the haunting ghost story 'Haunter,' and Netflix's 'In the Tall Grass.' Natali has also made his mark in episodic TV, directing for NBC's 'Hannibal,' FX's 'The Strain,' HBO's 'Westworld,' Starz's 'American Gods,' as well as Netflix's 'Locke & Key' and Guillermo Del Toro's 'Cabinet of Curiosities.'
The Fantasia Film Festival, which will reveal its complete lineup on July 3, is gearing up to entertain and thrill audiences from July 18 to August 4. With an eclectic mix of world premières, international premières, and career tributes, this year's edition promises to be an unforgettable celebration of cinema.
