Brandon Routh and Mena Suvari have been named to lead the cast of Grammy Award-winning director Joseph Kahn's next film, Ick.
The film aims to evoke the timeless creature traits of the 1980s with an ambitious arsenal of horror and comedy. Routh (“Superman Returns,” “Scott Pilgrim”) plays Hank, a high school science teacher who still has feelings for his childhood sweetheart, played by Suvari (“American Beauty,” “American Pie”). Knowing that he may have a teenage daughter, played by Marina Wiseman (Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events), Hank learns that his small town is being invaded by a terrifying alien aberration (the titular character). “Ik”) must be confronted.
Interstellar Entertainment, co-founded by Udaya Sharma, DC Cassidy and Michael Fisk, is backing the project. The company has emerged as a powerhouse in the independent film industry and is currently in the midst of a $100 million fundraising effort.
Khan is known for directing iconic music videos for artists such as Taylor Swift, Eminem, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, and U2. His last film, the Eminem-produced rap battle comedy Bodied, won the Audience Award at TIFF, AFI, and Fantastic Fest.
Combining old-fashioned prosthetics and cutting-edge visual effects, “Ick'' was created by Khan and the talented producer behind such horror hits as “Paranormal Activity,'' “Insidious,'' and “Split.'' It ties Steven Schneider together. The film was written by Sam Lasky, Dan Koontz, and Kahn.
“'Ick' is a film that evokes a primal fear of today's world, and above all features a unique, mysterious monster. We are thrilled to have collaborated with them to create a feature on creatures,” Khan says of the project.
“'Ick' embodies universal themes of courage, self-sacrifice, and humanity's eternal quest to confront the unknown,” said executive producer Udaya Sharma. “Our goal is to not only captivate audiences, but also evoke deep introspection about confronting the unimaginable, while being incredible pop entertainment for all ages.”
CAA Media Finance and Peter Trinh will arrange financing for the film and co-head worldwide distribution rights.