Toronto 2012: Norwegian Supernatural Thriller 'Thale' Finds U.S. Home

TORONTO -- XLrator Media has acquired all U.S. rights to writer-director Aleksander L. Nordaas' Norwegian supernatural thriller Thale and is planning an early 2013 release.

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Thale makes its premiere Wednesday night at the Toronto International Film Festival and tells the story of a mythical "huldra," a beautiful, tailed female forest creature who is discovered in a concealed cellar by two crime scene cleaners. The creature, unable to speak and explain how she came to be there, has been kept in the cellar for decades, for reasons which soon emerge.

The thriller stars Silje Reinåmo, Jon Sigve Skard, Erlend Nervold, Morten Andresen, Sunniva Lien and Roland Åstrand.

Thale was produced by Bendik Heggen Strønstad under his Yesbox Productions banner, co-produced by Lars L. Marøy at Film Found FUZZ and executive produced by Gudrun Giddings, Tore Fredrik Dreyer and Lars Andreas Hellebust.

XYZ Films is representing the U.S. rights while Epic Pictures is handling international sales.

“Thale is a haunting and atmospheric thriller that grips you from the opening scene to the chilling finale,” said XLrator Media CEO Barry Gordon. “It once again shows Scandinavia to be a rich wellspring for today’s most compelling and stylish thrillers, from Let the Right One In to Troll Hunter to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and its sequels.”

Strønstad added:  “We are looking forward to working with XLrator on the US distribution as we have the same understanding of the film and how it should be presented. We anticipate unveiling THALE to audiences this evening in Toronto and around the world next year.”

The deal was negotiated by Gordon, Nate Bolotin of XYZ Films, and Gudrun Giddings and Kim H. Swartz at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP.