Category: Sundance 2026

Logline

A brave girl and her friends must plot their escape from a kids’ television show after discovering its mascot—a humanoid orange unicorn named Buddy—is a homicidal captor.

Genre

Horror

Notable Attachments

Lead Actress: Cristin Milioti (The Penguin, Black Mirror: U.S.S. Callister)

Supporting Actors: Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele), Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals, Revolutionary Road), Patton Oswalt (MADtv, Ratatouille)

The Quick Pitch & Comps

A feature length version of DON’T HUG ME I’M SCARED crossed with Adult Swim’s horror-driven INFOMERCIALS

Initial Thoughts

A straightforward horror film that relies on building an unsettling atmosphere over cheap jumpscares. Many will be divided on the deliberate pace of certain sequences and the film’s lack of interest in veering into “elevated” horror. It has enough gripping moments to make it a film that could capture the zeitgeist with the right marketing and rollout.

Suggested Distributors

RECOMMEND: IFC, Shudder, Black Bear, Row K, Cineverse

CONSIDER: NEON, Bleecker Street, Netflix, HBOMax (PI or PII), A24

Rollout Prospects

Box Office & Streaming Prospects: Likely to be a buzzy Gen Z favorite that horror enthusiasts will go see. If released theatrically, we estimate a D.B.O. of $3M-$20M depending on the distributor’s prioritization.

Awards Prospects: None

Potential Timeline: SXSW > TIFF Midnight Madness > Regional Festivals > streaming or start of theatrical expansion in the October corridor > if theatrical, commencing the Pay One SVOD window around holiday corridor.

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes: 78% (23 critic reviews)

IMDb: 7.9/10 (52 audience ratings)

Metacritic: TBD

Letterboxd: TBD

as of 1/27/25

Awards & Selections

Sundance: Midnight – Official Selection

Additional Details

United States, 2026, 95 min, English

Cast: Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Topher Grace, Keegan-Michael Key, Michael Shannon, Patton Oswalt, Clint Howard

Director: Casper Kelly

Sales

UTA Independent Film Group (filmsales@unitedtalent.com / 3102736700)

Full Marketing Strategy

PHASE ONE (3-4 Months Pre-Release)

• TEASER ONE: Release a seemingly innocent 30-second “It’s Buddy!” episode clip with wholesome vibes- and no further context
• TEASER TWO: One week later, release another teaser but include glitches and signs of something sinister
• ARG: Post mysterious links on Adult Swim & Creepypasta reddit threads… that lead to an ARG website that glitches, where you can buy Buddy Merch. When you click back, it automatically streams the first episode of the show (ending with the glitch & sky)
• CLIP: One week later, post the full episode clip on the distributors socials, end it with a mysterious date

PHASE TWO (2-3 Months Pre-Release)

• Send custom VHS tapes to streamers & horror YouTubers (Dead Meat, Ryan Hollinger, Spooky Rice) with the same mysterious date
• On that date, drop the full trailer.
• Host “It’s Buddy” Pop-Up Set in NYC, LA, Toronto. Include Photo Op’s with Buddy
• Have Buddy mascot walking around streets, document sightings on Social Media

PHASE 3 (ONE MONTH PRE-RELEASE)

• Reddit: Seed discussions in r/horror, r/nostalgia, r/90s, AMAs with Casper Kelly, cast members
• Youtube: Partner with horror essay channels for deep dives, Create “documentary” about the “real” Buddy show, Release full “episodes” of It’s Buddy!

THEATRICAL RELEASE

• Open in 800-1,200 theaters (if acquired by strong distributor)
• Target college towns, urban markets first
• Expand based on word-of-mouth
• Alamo Drafthouse partnership for interactive screenings
• Secret screenings with Buddy appearances
• Aggressive digital/VOD push
• Physical media: VHS-style packaging for collectors
• Streaming deal with horror-focused platform

PARTNERSHIPS & COLLABORATIONS

• Adult Swim: Natural partner given Casper Kelly’s history. Air fake Buddy commercials during late-night programming
• Fangoria/Shudder/Horror Outlets: Exclusive clips and interviews, collectible magazine covers
• Toy/Merch Partners: Limited edition “cursed” Buddy plush (Youtooz, NECA), VHS-style collector’s editions, 90s-style lunchboxes, stickers with dark twist, partner with Hot Topic, Spirit Halloween

PUBLICITY STRATEGY

• Target Outlets:
  • Horror: Bloody Disgusting, Fangoria, Rue Morgue.
  • Entertainment: Variety, THR, IndieWire.
  • Nostalgia: Buzzfeed, Vice, AV Club.
  • Podcasts: How Did This Get Made, The Rewatchables

• Story Angles
  • “Too Many Cooks director returns with feature film”
  • “What if Barney was evil?”
  • Kegan Michael-Key, Cristin Milioti and Topher Grace in unexpected genre film

TARGETED AUDIENCE SEGMENTS

• Segment 1: Horror Fans (Primary)
  • Emphasize practical effects, dark humor, Sundance pedigree
  • compare to other mascot horror successes (BUDDY vs JASON, etc)
  • focus on gore and creative kills
• Segment 2: Millennials/Gen Z Nostalgics (Primary)

• Segment 3: Indie/Arthouse Crossover

• Segment 4: Comedy Fans