“Alien Country,” a new alien invasion comedy from director/co-writer Boston McConaughey and co-writer Rennie Graham, has been acquired by Scatena & Rosner Films and is set for release in October, TheWrap can exclusively reveal.
The project will have a theatrical release with screenings in cities including Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, followed by a digital and on-demand release.
“After meeting Boston and Rennie and seeing the first ‘Foreign Country,’ I was completely blown away,” said S&R Films Director Gato Scatena. “The footage was engaging and I knew right away that this was a film that had the potential to connect with a wide audience. Boston and Rennie’s vision and creativity brought something truly special to life and we’re excited to help bring it to the world.”
“Working with Scatena & Rosner Films was a breath of fresh air,” McConnaughey added. “As independent producers, we have found a distribution partner who not only values artistry and storytelling, but is willing to do the actual work to meet audiences’ needs in our ever-changing film landscape.”
The film follows Jimmy Walker, a local demolition derby driver who, along with his pregnant girlfriend, accidentally opens a mysterious portal and unleashes a group of bioengineered alien creatures on their small town. “Now, in a race against time, these soon-to-be parents must quickly learn to work together and stop the monster from attacking — or their town, their planet, and their relationship will face sudden destruction,” the official synopsis reads.
The comedy cast includes “Yellowstone” alum KC Clyde and Dalton Baker, along with “American Ninja Warrior” child star and influencer Peyton Myler, Renny Grahams, Rachel Brooke Smith, Austin Archer, Charan Prabhakar, Corbin Allred, Jason Wade, Charla Boccicchio, Trey Warner, Cila Aghavale, Joseph Reidhead, Bartha Heiner and Dominic Noell.
“’Alien Country’ may be a sci-fi action comedy with alien monsters, but for me it’s really a deep story,” Grahams said. “I wanted to explore the difficult decisions that I and many women face when balancing career and parenthood. Remaking this film, as a creative duo with my husband, has been the wildest ride, and the film itself is the embodiment of my dreams – and yes, I’m a mother now too.”
“The Stranger” had its world premiere at the Rhode Island International Film Festival, where it won the Academy Award for Best Comedy. It was produced by the Grahams, McConaughey, Prabhakar and Danny Simeone under production companies Story Mode and One88 Media. Gordon Angelo Morton served as executive producer. Michael Lee Bishop composed the music and Wes Johnson served as director of photography.
“No one in our industry, let alone independent filmmakers, can play it safe,” McConaughey said. “So why not an original, surprising story that will have you fighting aliens and maybe even finding true love along the way? I can promise you that you will laugh and maybe even have an amazing ride.”
