James R | On 28, Feb 2020

First Nations zombie thriller Blood Quantum is being released by Shudder this spring, and a new trailer gives us a first look at the horror.

The dead are coming back to life outside the isolated Mi’gmaq reserve of Red Crow, except for its Indigenous inhabitants who are immune to the zombie plague. Traylor, the tribal sheriff, must protect his son’s pregnant girlfriend, apocalyptic refugees, and reserve riff raff from the hordes of walking white corpses.

Starring Michael Greyeyes (Fear the Walking Dead, True Detective), Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open) and Forrest Goodluck (The Miseducation of Cameron Post, The Revenant), the film is written and directed by Mi’gmaq filmmaker Jeff Barnaby (Rhymes for Young Ghouls).

“The film is a new, first nations perspective on a classic genre, a film that takes zombies in a new direction as it harkens back to the meaningful and politically aware roots of George Romero,” said Shudder’s Emily Gotto.

The film will be released in cinemas in Canada this March and in US cinemas this spring, before it comes to Shudder in the UK.

Here’s the trailer:

 

Shudder snaps up Blood Quantum

29th June 2019

Shudder has snapped up the rights to zombie thriller Blood Quantum.

Produced by XYZ Films, the film is written and directed by Jeff Barnaby.

Shot in Montreal, Canada and the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, it sees the dead coming back to life outside the isolated Mi’gmaq reserve of Red Crow, except for its indigenous inhabitants who are immune to the zombie plague. Traylor, the tribal sheriff, must protect his son’s pregnant girlfriend, apocalyptic refugees and reserve riffraff from the hordes of walking white corpses.

The cast includes Michael Greyeyes (Fear The Walking Dead), Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (On the Farm) and Forrest Goodluck (The Revenant). It’s produced by John Christou for Prospector Films and Rob Vroom, with Madrona Drive also exec-producing.

“Natives have been on screen for 100 years but have never controlled that image. In the age of representation, Shudder is putting their money where their mouth is and providing an opportunity for a whole new generation of indigenous genre filmmakers. They’re breaking that glass ceiling and opening the books on a whole new perspective. They’re making a genuine difference,” Barnaby said in a statement.

“We are thrilled to bring Jeff Barnaby’s Blood Quantum to Shudder,” added Gotto. “Jeff and his bold vision are at the forefront of Shudder’s ethos of original, provocative and stirring genre stories. The film is a new, first nations perspective on a classic genre, a film that takes zombies in a new direction as it harkens back to the meaningful and politically aware roots of George Romero.”

Shudder has the exclusive streaming rights to the film in the UK, Ireland, US, Australia and New Zealand. Stay Tuned for a release date.

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