Independent Film Company and Shudder have acquired North American and UK rights to Saccharine, the new feature written and directed by Natalie Erika James, ahead of its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The film was acquired from XYZ Films and is set for a theatrical release prior to its Shudder debut in 2026.
Starring Midori Francis, Danielle Macdonald, and Madeleine Madden, Saccharine centers on Hana, a medical student who finds herself targeted by a malevolent presence after participating in an extreme weight-loss trend involving the consumption of human ashes. The project marks James’ third feature, following Relic and Apartment 7A, the latter connected to Rosemary’s Baby.
James reunites with the same distribution partners who released Relic in 2020, citing a shared understanding of genre storytelling and filmmaker-driven projects. Produced by Carver Films and Thrum Films, Saccharine is financed by Screen Australia in conjunction with XYZ Films, IPR.VC, and Stan, in association with VicScreen. Producers include James, Anna McLeish, and Sarah Shaw.
Norman Gidney is the founder and editor-in-chief of HorrorBuzz, which he launched in 2015 to cover everything that goes bump in the night: horror films, haunts, books, games, and the people who make them. He also runs The Screaming Room Film Festival and hosts the Horror Movie Night series at The Frida Cinema in Santa Ana, California.
