Lionsgate greenlights a trio of low-budget films

By Sarah Sluis

Most better-known low-budget films have traveled a common path: independent financing followed by a festival debut, where the movie is picked up by a specialty distributor like Fox Searchlight, Focus or the Weinstein Co. Now Lionsgate is actively pursuing the low-budget market, but not by increasing the number of films it acquires at festivals. Instead, Lionsgate is commissioning its own low-budget films in the comedy and horror genres, which it describes as "historically driven more by concept and execution than budget."

True, the three films kicking off the initiative will have budgets under $2 million, but they will enjoy the infrastructure and support of the studio system. What sets these films apart? Instead of aiming for the lowest common denominator (another dumb teen comedy), they have embraced edgy subjects that give them niche, not universal, appeal. I'm intrigued. Here's an outline of the first three films.

Rapturepalooza has been described as The Big Lebowski meets Zombieland, a quirky horror-comedy that takes place in the aftermath of a religious apocalypse. The cast and crew won't be unknowns; Craig Robinson (Pineapple Express, "The Office") stars, a commercial director will make his feature debut, and one of the producers worked on The Other Guys.

Gay Dude is one of those high school lose-our-virginity-before-graduation movies, but with a twist: One of the two guys making the pact confesses he's gay, complicating their goal, testing their friendship and exposing prejudices...in the context of humorous situations, naturally. The script by Alan Yang ("Parks and Recreation") made the Black List of best unproduced screenplays.

6 Miranda Drive is a horror film, plain and simple. Writer/director, Greg McLean helmed the successful Australian horror film Wolf Creek, loosely inspired by a local serial killer who preyed on backpackers. Miranda centers on a family who brings back an object from vacation that preys on their fears.

Of these three projects, Gay Dude feels the most risky, followed by the comedy-out-of-rapture Rapturepalooza. 6 Miranda Drive sounds conventional, but that doesn't mean it won't be good or groundbreaking like Saw and Paranormal Activity. Lionsgate has pledged to cast more minorities, continuing the studio's trend of serving urban markets (Lionsgate distributes the Tyler Perry movies, for example, and partnered with Pantelion films to serve the Hispanic market.)

I still have many questions about Lionsgate's plans? Will the studio give these movies wide releases, or targeted ones? Will it platform release some of them? If one of the films flops, will studio cut its losses and send it straight to DVD? I applaud Lionsgate for not only going low budget, but being independent-minded in their subject matter. Let's bring indie movies to the masses.