A short film adaptation of the play Stalking the Bogeyman will star Tony winner Santino Fontana and Tony nominee Thomas Sadoski. The project is currently in production, with distribution plans to be announced.
Based on the true story by David Holthouse, Stalking the Bogeyman was written by Markus Potter and Holthouse. It had a world premiere in 2013 at NC Stage Company before opening at New World Stages Off-Broadway in 2014. The work follows a man 25 years after being raped as a child. When the rapist moves to the same town, he can no longer ignore the thoughts that have been haunting him his entire life. The solution: kill the bogeyman.
The partially animated short film features a screenplay by Potter, Holthouse, and Jack Dorfman, and is directed by Potter and Dorfman. The creative team also includes cinematographer Kadri Koop and animator Natasza Cetner. Casting is by Geoff Josselson and Katja Zarolinski of JZ Casting.
The team is working with community partners including RAINN to ensure viewers have access to resources and information about sexual violence prevention efforts. After the film’s opening, the team will license the work free of charge to anti-sexual assault organizations to support education and community engagement efforts.
“One in four girls and one in six boys in the United States have been sexually abused, nine times out of ten by someone they knew, very often the last person you would expect,” says Potter. “We hope this film opens up conversations about healing and coping with trauma. We hope it helps survivors.”
Stalking The Bogeyman is produced by Frederik Ehrhardt and Fabrizio Ellis, with executive producers Bogeyman Productions, Brian Flanagan, and Dalia Davies Flanagan and associate producers Kathy Henderson, Dennis Grimaldi, Adam Richman, Matthew Kwatinetz, NewYorkRep, Soumyo Sarkar, and Steve Lepore.
