From the Director of Night Swim Comes ‘Die by Night’

Die by Night movie

January 31, 2025

Written by Kelli Marchman McNeely

Kelli Marchman McNeely is the owner of HorrorFuel.com. She is an Executive Producer of "13 Slays Till Christmas" which is out on Digital and DVD and now streaming on Tubi. She has several other films in the works. Kelli is an animal lover and a true horror addict since the age of 9 when she saw Friday the 13th. Email: horrorfuelinfo@gmail.com

The dystopian survival thriller Die By Night, from Emmy Award nominee Rod Blackhurst (Blood for Dust, Night Swim, Netflix documentary Amanda Knox), is heading to the upcoming European Film Market (EFM) from Protagonist Pictures. Dave Bishop, CEO of Protagonist Pictures, announced the news today. UTA Independent Film Group will handle North American rights.

The stellar cast includes Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan), Ben Hardy (Bohemian Rhapsody), and Scoot McNairy ( A Complete Unknown, Nightbitch).

The film is based on the prequel screenplay The Chosen Few, penned by Blackhurst and J. Hunter Richardson. Adding to the film’s visual impact, the creature design is by Emmy Award-winning concept artist Vincent Proce. Proce’s impressive portfolio includes blockbuster films like It Chapter Two, Smile, and Smile 2.

Noah Lang of Witchcraft Motion Picture Company (Blood for Dust) and Ben Shields Catlin of Story in the Sky produce. Dave Bishop and George Hamilton of Protagonist Pictures serve as executive producers.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world plagued by extended periods of Night, monstrous creatures known as “The Horde” roam. Die By Night follows Lucia (Fuhrman), a determined runaway seeking refuge at “The Wall,” a supposed sanctuary. Injured but resolute, Barry (Hardy) pledges to help her reach their destination. However, their journey is perilous, equally from The Horde and The Clans – ruthless tribes who thrive on capturing and trading humans. The film unfolds over a single night in which Lucia and Barry must learn to trust each other and stay within the dwindling light if they hope to survive until dawn and reach “The Wall.”

“Die By Night promises to be a nail-biting, action-packed thriller brimming with jump scares,” stated Bishop. “Rod’s captivating vision of a dark, dystopian, post-apocalyptic world, combined with the terrifying creature designs brought to life by the industry’s leading artists, will captivate audiences from the first frame to the final credits.”

Blackhurst shared his inspiration for the film, saying, “This film stemmed from the fears and anxieties I experienced upon becoming a father for the first time – the overwhelming desire to protect my daughter from the dark forces of the world, including dangerous ideologies and the impossible choices we face in times of chaos. We are thrilled to partner with Protagonist, whose reputation and prestige precede them. They create the kind of films I admire and immediately grasped the duality of Die By Night – both a thrilling genre piece and a story reflecting our current times, albeit portrayed in a fantastical manner.”

Producers Shields Catlin and Lang added, “Die By Night is the kind of film we yearned to see in our local cinema as kids – visceral, hardcore, relentless, and terrifying. The kind of film we can’t yet show our own children, but eagerly await the day they’re old enough to experience it.”

Rod Blackhurst is renowned for directing and producing the Emmy-nominated Netflix Original Documentary Amanda Knox and the Tribeca Film Festival Audience Award-winning feature Here Alone. He is also behind the Peacock’s “John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise.” Lastly, he most recently released Blood For Dust, starring Scoot McNairy and Kit Harington.

 

Follow Rod Blackhurst on social media to learn more about his projects.

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