The director of the new horror film Shelby Oaks, Chris Stuckmann, has expressed his emotional relief after securing additional funding from distributor Neon to complete his debut feature. Stuckmann revealed that the production had run out of money, despite being a record-breaking project on Kickstarter, where it raised nearly $1.4 million.
In an interview with DiscussingFilm, Stuckmann reflected on the challenges faced during production. “We literally ran out of money,” he stated. Although the film was produced on a budget that many in Hollywood would consider minimal, essential scenes had to be cut from the script. The film’s storyline follows a woman, portrayed by Camille Sullivan, who believes her sister, missing for twelve years while researching paranormal activity in Shelby Oaks, is still alive.
The director noted that when Neon acquired the film in July 2024, they requested a copy of his script. “They got back to me and said, ‘Hey, we read it and there are some things in here that aren’t in the movie. Why not?'” Stuckmann explained, emphasizing the constraints of both time and budget.
Thanks to Neon’s support, Stuckmann was able to shoot additional scenes over three days, which he had previously given up on. “It’s a very painful experience to give up those things that you were very excited about doing,” he admitted. His emotional response to receiving the funding was evident, as he shared, “I was in tears, man, because I got to go back and do a couple of things that I always wanted to be in this movie. It was a dream come true.”
Neon, known for distributing films such as Longlegs, The Monkey, and Anora, has now added Shelby Oaks to its roster. The film is currently available in theaters across the United States and is set to be released in UK cinemas on October 29, 2024.
For those looking forward to more horror, a guide to upcoming releases in 2025 will be available soon.
