Osgood Perkins is staying in business with Neon, the indie outfit that released his features Longlegs and The Monkey and helped crown him as Hollywood’s latest horror maestro.
Perkins has signed a first-look deal with Neon and launched a new banner called Phobos, which he will run partner Chris Ferguson. Under the deal, Neon will serve as the home for Perkins’ projects, which he and Ferguson will produce. It will also allow Perkins and Ferguson to produce other filmmakers’ movies for Neon. Neon will release these projects theatrically in the United States and represent international rights.
Perkins will continue to produce projects with Brian Kavanaugh-Jones of Range.
The moves come after the 2024 serial killer thriller Longlegs supercharged Perkins’ career. It earned strong reviews and $128 million globally on a $10 million budget. Its $75 million domestic haul made it the top grossing independent film of the year.
Neon and Perkins followed it up with the Stephen King adaptation The Monkey, which opened to $14 million domestically, Neon’s second-highest opening of all time, only behind Longlegs. While less universally well-loved than Longlegs, it still earned 68.7 million globally.
Up next, Neon will release the Perkins-directed film Keeper in October, with the first teaser released Wednesday.
“There’s only one Osgood Perkins — fearless, deeply imaginative, relentlessly funny and operating on a frequency that’s all his own,” said NEON CEO and founder Tom Quinn. “His work lingers with you, burrows into your brain as all great art does. With NEON as his creative home, Oz will continue to cook, pushing the boundaries of his ever expanding cinematic universe. We’re thrilled to be along for the ride with Phobos and Osgood Perkins.”
Added Perkins, “Ever hear the one about the filmmaker who madly loves his distributor? No? That’s because I think this might be the very first time it’s happened in our business where even brief phone calls can be rough. Meanwhile here I am with NEON, like: You hang up first, no you hang up first! I couldn’t be happier.”
Perkins, the son of Psycho actor Anthony Perkins and model and photographer Berry Berenson, started his career as an actor, playing a young version of his father’s character Norman Bates Pyscho II.
He recently spoke with THR about how life has changed since his meteoric rise post-Longlegs. “People ask me if they can have coffee with me, and I say, ‘I don’t know.’ That’s how things change. Someone else knows; I don’t know the answer to that anymore,” he said.
The deal was negotiated by NEON with CAA, Untitled, and Lichter Grossman repping Perkins.
