Horror-Thriller “CAGED” Starring Edi Gathegi Acquired by Shout! Studios—Toronto

Premiere Entertainment Group (PEG), a Los Angeles-based sales, production and financing company, has licensed North American rights to the elevated genre film CAGED to Shout! Studios, the multi-platform filmed entertainment distribution and production arm of Shout! Factory, during the TIFF virtual market. The film, which was previously titled THE S.H.U., stars Edi Gathegi (Twilight Saga films; X-Men: First Class) and is slated for an early 2021 release.

Melora Hardin, Angela Sarafyan, Tony Amendola, and James Jagger round out the key cast.

The timely social thriller follows an affluent, African American psychiatrist (Gathegi) into federal prison after being found guilty of murdering his wife (Sarafyan), then sent to solitary confinement – a victim of systemic racism. Isolated and fighting for an appeal, he slowly descends into madness, pushed to his breaking point by an abusive female guard (Hardin) hell bent on her own form of justice. Haunted by his dead wife and internal demons, he begins to question his own innocence and sanity, making his time in the S.H.U. a never-ending nightmare.

Aaron Fjellman makes his feature film directorial debut from a script he co-wrote with James ‘Doc’ Mason. Pete Kirtley produced for Panic House Films alongside, Matthew C. Temple, Jessa Zarubica, and Fjellman. Edi Gathegi and Ryan Sage served as executive producers. Kirtley and Fjellman co-founded Panic House Films.

“After a global pandemic sentenced the world to solitary confinement, a series of infuriating tragedies have inspired a moment in time where it seems change is finally within our grasp,” says Aaron Fjellman of Panic House Films. “Shout! Studios share our creative vision and have the expertise to present our film to a North American audience, making them the perfect partner.”

“Caged is a visually stirring and searing indictment of solitary confinement. Inventively directed by Aaron Fjellman and featuring deeply intense performances by Edi Gathegi and Melora Hardin, Caged is a powerful call for institutional reform,” said Jordan Fields, Vice President of Acquisitions at Shout! Studios.

“We are delighted to be teaming up with Shout! who immediately responded to Caged with great enthusiasm and understood the film’s powerful message making them the ideal distributor to release the film domestically,” added Carlos Rincon of Premiere Entertainment.

The deal was negotiated by Carlos Rincon and Elias Axume of Premiere Entertainment on behalf of the filmmakers and Jordan Fields for Shout! Studios. Premiere Entertainment handles worldwide sales.

Upcoming North American releases from Shout! Studios include MISBEHAVIOUR starring Keira Knightley and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and STUNTWOMEN: THE UNTOLD HOLLYWOOD STORY, narrated by Michelle Rodriguez. Previous releases include LAZY SUSAN starring Sean Hayes, and STANDING UP, FALLING DOWN starring Billy Crystal and Ben Schwartz.