David Farnor | On 15, Dec 2019

Ridley Scott is the latest big name to be attached to a project for Quibi.

The new short-form streaming service, which will present stories in bite-sized chunks for mobile viewing, is the brainchild of Jeffrey Katzenberg. Announced last year, it will launch in April 2020, and won’t be short of buzzy names to provide it with exclusive and original content.

Scott has partnered with financier Anton (McMafia) and UK production company Stigma Films for CURS_R. The show follows a broke student who, in pursuit of a $100,000 prize, plays an obscure 1980s survival computer game. But when the game locks her into a cycle of horror, she realises she’s playing for her life.

It is written by Simon Allen, who is fresh from the TV remake of Das Boot, which was recently renewed for a second season. It is directed by Toby Meakins, who has made several horror shorts with Allen. Matthew James Wilkinson of Stigma Films (Yesterday, Amulet) is producing alongside Anton and Scott’s Scott Free. Both Scott and Allen are executive producers.

“With all of the many platforms on which one can now show content, including the groundbreaking new format at Quibi, this is an extraordinary time to be a filmmaker. We are very much looking forward to working with Jeffrey Katzenberg and his Quibi team, as well as with these very talented filmmakers, Toby and Simon, to create a series that promises to break new boundaries in the horror genre,” Scott said in a statement.

Anton’s CEO and founder Sebastien Raybaud added: “Simon and Toby are extraordinarily talented filmmakers and have proven success in the short-form horror genre. The visionary teams at Scott Free, Stigma Films, and Quibi will no doubt ensure a groundbreaking series.”

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