Neon Buys Jeff Nichols’ Horror Film ‘King Snake,’ Starring Margaret Qualley, Michael Shannon and Drew Starkey (EXCLUSIVE)

Neon, the Oscar-winning studio behind “Parasite” and “Anora,” has acquired U.S. rights to “King Snake,” the next film from “Loving” and “Mud” director Jeff Nichols.

FilmNation Entertainment fully financed the Southern gothic horror film and is handling worldwide sales. “King Snake” stars Margaret Qualley of “The Substance” and “Maid,” Michael Shannon the Oscar-nominated “Revolutionary Road” star who has worked with Nichols on “Take Shelter” and “Midnight Special,” and Drew Starkey who recently turned heads in “Queer.” It will be produced by Nichols and his Tri-State Pictures partners Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Sarah Green, in association with Range Media Partners. FilmNation’s Stacey Snider and Glen Basner are executive producers on the film.

The deal was negotiated by Neon and FilmNation Entertainment in cooperation with Range Media Partners on behalf of the filmmakers. Neon will release “King Snake” theatrically nationwide. Principal photography started this month in Arkansas. Nichols is an acclaimed auteur, whose most recent film, “The Bikeriders,” starred Austin Butler, Tom Hardy and Jodie Comer and was released to acclaim in 2024.

According to the official plot description, “‘King Snake’ follows a young couple (Qualley and Starkey) who inherit an Arkansas farm where they face real-world problems and supernatural forces, battling physical and metaphysical demons while confronting the property’s dark legacy.”

The news comes just ahead of Cannes, where Neon will arrive with an ambitious slate. The studio has several films in competition including James Gray’s “Paper Tiger,” Arthur Harari’s “The Unknown,” Cristian Mungiu’s “Fjord,” Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden,” Hirokazu Koreeda’s “Sheep in the Box,” and Na Hong-Jin’s “Hope.” In Directors’ Fortnight the studio will debut Arie Esiri & Chuko Esiri’s “Clarissa,” a modern reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway,” and David Greaves’ Sundance hit “Once Upon a Time in Harlem.” Rounding out the slate, Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Her Private Hell” will screen out of competition.

Earlier this year, the studio’s films, “Sentimental Value” and “The Secret Agent,” were both nominated for best picture, with the former ultimately winning best international feature film. The company scored at the box office with “EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert.” Looking ahead, the indie company will premiere Damian McCarthy’s “Hokum” on May 1 and Boots Riley’s “I Love Boosters” on May 22.