Karyn Kusama has signed on to helm “Breed,” an upcoming horror film for Fox with a terrifying fertility-related premise. The project is based on a 2012 Chase Novak novel of the same name.
According to Variety, “Breed” centers on “a wealthy New York couple who turns to a controversial Eastern European fertility clinic to conceive when all conventional methods fail. Ten years later, the nightmarish side effects of the procedure begin to manifest.” The budget is likely somewhere between the $20 to $30 million range.
Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi are penning the adaptation and producing, and Scott Frank is producing for Fox under his production deal with the studio. “Breed” marks a reunion for Hay, Manfredi, and Kusama. The trio previously collaborated on “The Invitation,” a horror-thriller released earlier this year. Hay and Manfredi wrote the script for the well-reviewed feature, and Kusama directed. “The Invitation” was funded primarily via Gamechanger Films, which provides equity financing to women-directed features.
Kusama’s big-screen directing credits include “Girlfight,” “Aeon Flux,” and “Jennifer’s Body.” She’s also helmed episodes of TV series such as “The L Word,” “Chicago Fire,” “Casual,” and “Halt and Catch Fire.” Kusama has signed on to “XX,” a horror anthology featuring female-driven stories. “American Psycho” helmer Mary Harron and musician St. Vincent are among the directors participating in the project.
“I’m a director first and foremost, and I hope that the fact that I’m female is just one of the many things that informs my unique perspective on the world,” Kusama has told Women and Hollywood. “If the statistics weren’t so dismal, the conversation around gender could recede a bit and female filmmakers could start to be embraced on purely creative terms — but for now, frustratingly, it still remains a vital issue to address because change has been so slow in coming.”
No word on when to expect “Breed,” but “The Invitation” is available to stream now on Netflix. The award-winning movie depicts a dinner party that goes horribly awry.
