EXCLUSIVE: Kate Burton (Grey’s Anatomy) and Colby Minifie (The Boys) will lead the cast of The Surrender, an indie horror film from first-time feature filmmaker Julia Max.
Others to appear in the film, currently shooting in Los Angeles, include Neil Sandilands (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), Vaughn Armstrong (Star Trek: Enterprise), Mia Ellis (Lavender Men), Pete Ploszek (You), Chelsea Alden (13 Reasons Why), Riley Rose Critchlow, Lola Prince Kelly and Alaina Pollack.
A sales title with all rights available, The Surrender centers on a fraught mother-daughter relationship that is put to a terrifying test when the family patriarch dies and the grieving mother hires a mysterious stranger to bring her husband back from the dead. As the bizarre and brutal resurrection ritual spirals out of control, both women must reconcile their differences as they fight for their lives, and for each other.
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“The Surrender is an incredibly personal project for me as it was loosely inspired by the experience my mother and I went through when my stepfather passed away,” said Max, who is directing from her own script. “I could not ask for a more talented and empathetic team of actors, producers, and crew to bring this story to life and do it justice.”
Ushered to production by Codependent Films, The Surrender‘s producers include Mia Chang (It Follows), Lovell Holder (Peak Season), Ian McDonald (Woman of the Hour) and Emmy-winning casting director Robert J. Ulrich (The Boys). Susan Gelb, Adam Maffei (Griffin in Summer) and Rob Massar (Peak Season) are exec producing, with Brenden Rodriguez and Daniel Schwab co-producing, and KW Campol serving as associate producer.
“Having had the privilege of producing Julia’s previous short film,” Holder stated, “I believe she represents a brilliant and unique new voice within the horror genre. Her work seamlessly blends humor, pathos, and the supernatural to capture deep truths about the human experience, and The Surrender is no exception, weaving a smart and heartbreaking portrait of what it is to lose a parent. I’m honored to collaborate with Julia, Kate, Colby, and all our team members in telling an original story that is simultaneously so intimate and also so universal.”
A three-time Emmy and Tony Award nominee who has been seen in such classic films as Big Trouble in Little China, The First Wives Club and The Ice Storm, Burton’s most notable recent feature credits include Sony’s Dumb Money and the custody battle drama Our Son starring Luke Evans and Billy Porter. Also known for her role as Dr. Ellis Grey on Grey’s Anatomy, her other recent small-screen credits include Bosch: Legacy, The Dropout and Inventing Anna.
Best known for her role as Vought International exec Ashley Barrett on Prime Video’s hit superhero series The Boys and spin-off Gen V, Minifie’s also recurred on Fear the Walking Dead, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Jessica Jones. Feature credits include Radium Girls and Charlie Kaufman’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things.
Burton is repped by Gersh, Lou Coulson Associates, and Principal Entertainment LA; Minifie by Innovative and Brillstein; and Max by Entertainment 360.