Samuel Goldwyn Films Takes Horror Movie ‘The Moogai’ From ‘Talk To Me’ & ‘The Babadook’ Producers

EXCLUSIVE: Samuel Goldwyn Films has brought Bankside Films' The Moogai to North America for its Sundance Film Festival 2024 premiere. There are plans to release it in theaters in May.

The horror film from Australia was made by Causeway Films, the same company that made popular films like Talk to Me and The Babadook.

A optimistic young Aboriginal couple named Fergus and Sarah give birth to their second child in the film. However, when Sarah begins to see a malicious ghost that she believes is attempting to take her baby, what should be a happy moment in their lives turns ominous. As she gets more unstable, Fergus, who is unable to see it but fervently wants to trust her, becomes more concerned.

Starring Shari Sebbens, Meyne Wyatt, Tessa Rose, Bella Heathcote, and Toby Leonard Moore, The Moogai was written and directed by Jon Bell. Mitchell Stanley, Samantha Jennings, and Kristina Ceyton are producers.

After that, The Moogai performed at South by Southwest and the Sydney Film Festival, where it took home the Best Australian Feature Audience Award.

Miles Fineburg of Samuel Goldwyn Films and Yana Georgieva of Bankside Films arranged the agreement.

In an interview with Matt Grobar in our Sundance studio, Sebbens discussed her desire to collaborate with Bell again after their collaboration on the television series The Gods of Wheat Street.

Personally, I'm captivated to the script because of Jon's writing style. Naturally, the metaphor, the messaging, and the underlying tale that tackles our shameful and tragic history in Australia—the Stolen Generations—were all very thrilling, as was the opportunity for Indigenous people to first dabble in the genre pool.

Regarding the future of Aboriginal storytelling, Sebbens continued, "" At the moment, genre is the most popular. The exciting things are taking place there. I think the future, though, is allowing us stuff up more than once. Historically, we’re only permitted to make one great entry, and if we get it wrong, we don’t get another chance.

So, I think that for me, the exciting version of the future is where Aboriginal people get to be a bit mediocre as well, actually, instead of always striving for excellence.”