If you thought your ex was a soul-sucking parasite, wait until you see what’s slinging through Long Island. Magenta Light Studios (the folks behind Strange Darling) has officially acquired the North American rights to Lice, a horror-comedy slated to infest theaters in early 2027.
Described as a blood-soaked collision between The Breakfast Club and Lord of the Flies, the film promises to do for hair hygiene what Jaws did for the ocean.
The Premise: Detention is a Real Itch
Lice is set in the neon-soaked, hairspray-heavy days of the 1980s, the story kicks off when a student’s meltdown at a Long Island high school turns out to be more than just “teen” angst. An invisible parasite is making its way through the student body, instantly transforming teenagers into homicidal maniacs.
With the school under lockdown, the social hierarchy dissolves into a literal feeding frenzy.
The Usual Suspects (and Victims)
The cast features a trio of familiar faces leading the descent into madness. Justin Long (Barbarian, Night Patrol) stars as Principal Van. Van’s a man desperately trying to hide the booze before he inevitably loses his grip on reality. He’s joined by Emile Hirsch (The Autopsy of Jane Doe) as Mr. Shanker, a burned-out science teacher who trades his lesson plans for a conspiracy theory when he discovers the “lice” might be a government experiment gone rogue. Then there’s Kevin Connolly (Entourage). He’s the man on the outside trying to stop the outbreak from turning the entire town into a buffet.
The massive ensemble cast includes Devyn Nekoda (Scream VI), Sabrina Saudin (“The Boys”), and Emilie Bierre (“Teenage Euthanasia“).
Behind the Lens
Marking his feature directorial debut, Jonathan Bensimon helms the project from a script penned by Anthony Musella and Shaun Harris. Production credits go to Connolly and Jeremy AlterAlter’sonPark Productions, with Magenta Light’s Yari and David Spiegelman serving as executive producers.
“We always wanted Lice to feel like a visceral, throwback thrill ride — something pulpy, unsettling, and darkly funny all at once,” said Bensimon. “We leaned into bold, tactile techniques to create a visual style that feels both nostalgic and immediate.”
Magenta Light Studios head Bob Yari didn’t back his enthusiasm, calling the script “wild” and original. Given the studio’s track record for picking up elevated genre fare, Lice looks to be a smart, gross-out addition to the 2027 cinematic calendar.
The takeaway? Come 2027, you might want to double-check your scalp before the lights go down.
