We know what you were thinking. You were thinking to yourself, "Self. I need more films from Lucio Rojas, down in Chile there. Trauma really fucked me up and I need more of that". Fret no more. If you were hoping for more Rojas then you're in luck.
We are the first to tell you that Rojas has entered into a production partnership with Redrum Films over in Germany to make five films over the next three years. The first film will shoot this year; an adaptation of Simone Trojahn's novel The Basement Games.
Karl is shocked when Toni kidnaps a young woman to keep her imprisoned in the basement of their house. His brother is a sadist. He’s always been. Karl is torn between pity, emotional dependence on his brother, and the need to satisfy his own urges on pretty Laura, who sees in him the only hope of rescue. Will Karl do the right thing and help the girl escape, or will his dark side prevail?
The Basement Games will star Argentine actor Clara Kovacic, who appeared in the wraparound story in the recent horror anthology APPS. She next appears in Nico Onetti's What The Waters Left Behind: Scars.
Given the precarious nature of getting films up and going in any part of the LatAm region this is great news for our friend, Rojas. Despite how harrowing his work is we're still sticking around to see what he comes up with next.
Germany’s Redrum Films to produce five films by Lucio A. Rojas in the next three years. (Exclusive)Germany’s Redrum Films Productions has signed an investment, production and distribution alliance with the Chilean production company Fascinante Films, to make five film projects directed by Lucio A. Rojas (“Trauma”, “Path”, “APPS”) in the next three years, starting this coming December, and up to the end of 2024. The first film, which will be shot this year, will be an adaptation of the international best seller “The Basement Games,” by Simone Trojahn.About this alliance, Rojas says: “This is a great boost to what we are creating from Chile, for the world to see. And it confirms that our team is doing a great job, despite all the roadblocks that we encounter in our country when making horror films, with meager budgets and a complete disregard by state funds. Regardless, we’ve gotten our films to a place where they are very present internationally. This first project is a huge challenge, not just because it’s such a successful novel which will surely come with fans that will have huge expectations; but also because it’s such an extreme, violent and complex work, and it brings to the table so many interesting issues that will make for a unique development experience.”The movies will be filmed in Chile and post-produced in the same country as well as in Europe. The CEO of Redrum Films, Michael Merhi, commented about this investment: “The collaboration with Lucio A. Rojas, who in my opinion is one of today’s best directors of extreme horror who also happens to have such risky ideas, is a dream come true. He has already shown, through his several films, that not only does he know his craft well, but also he is capable of establishing new standards in the horror genre. I am sure that together we will deliver works that feel fresh and with a vibe of their own. We are confident that, through this Chilean-German collaboration, we will create unique cinematic experiences.”Redrum Films is the film branch of the successful German horror publishing company Redrum Books.About the rest of the projects, Rojas adds: “This will allow us to continue to explore horror and fantasy films, from different filmmaking viewpoints. They are giving us total freedom and trust to express my point of view in the works, from an authorial perspective, as well as the subject matters portrayed, while allowing R-rated films to be completely free from censorship. In times like these, when projects are often developed with a calculator in hand, this is a luxury and allows us to work freely on these movies during these three years, while we develop a sustainable production model for this time. After the first film, we will shoot an intense Goth-slasher movie in April 2023, and in the second semester we’ll do a horror thriller that picks up from the universe we developed in one of our previous works.”Merhi says, about “The Basement Games”: “Simone Trojahn already completely subverted the German horror genre in 2015 with her novel “The Basement Games.” She was one of the first authors to portray the true horror that takes place between one’s own four walls in such a vivid way that readers felt as though they themselves were in a basement. Her writing style is harsh, brutal, and sometimes disgustingly honest. That’s also why her fans adore her. It is not an easy project, that’s why we have decided to produce the film adaptation ourselves at Redrum Entertainment.We want to redefine the limits of the horror-psychothriller genre. To give film lovers a completely new experience. And if there’s someone who can capture that insanity in beautiful moving images, that someone is Lucio A. Rojas.”The first film to come out of this alliance will star the renowned Argentine actress of genre cinema, Clara Kovacic: “I eagerly look forward to this challenge – that’s what this movie will be, in my opinion. It’s the most shocking screenplay I have ever read, by far. I feel a great sense of responsibility, so I will give everything I have to achieve something that’ll blow everyone’s mind. I feel a sense of confidence because the project is led by Lucio, who has a great vision and an amazing career. I can only hope you are all ready for this visual experience.”Preproduction on the first two films of this alliance will begin in the next few days.