Jaume Collet-Serra's latest film, the WWII thriller 'Play Dead,' is heading to the European Film Market in Berlin for its launch, with WME Independent handling worldwide rights. Produced by Sam Raimi and starring Noah Jupe and Matthias Schweighöfer, the movie is currently in post-production. The story follows an Allied soldier who must play dead to survive after an ambush.
Jaume Collet-Serra, known for directing 'The Shallows,' 'Carry On,' and 'Cliffhanger,' is bringing his new project 'Play Dead' to the EFM in Berlin. Written by Natalie Conway and Peter Stanley-Ward, the film is described as a World War II white-knuckle thriller centered on an Allied soldier's desperate bid for survival by feigning death following an ambush.
The production involves Nocturnal Entertainment, which fully financed the movie, alongside Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures—behind hits like 'Don't Breathe' and 'Evil Dead'—BoulderLight Pictures, known for 'Weapons' and 'Companion,' and Bad Grey. 'Play Dead' marks the first film under the Nocturnal banner.
Collet-Serra praised the script's intensity: "'Play Dead' is the rare script that felt unapologetically cinematic, built for tension and atmosphere. What grabbed me right away was the precision. Every scene escalates, every beat matters. It had this addictive quality where I was turning pages fast to see what happens next. One moment I was being pulled in with suspense and the next I was suddenly feeling all the emotion."
Producer Sam Raimi highlighted the team's execution: "Jaume and his cast bring the tense, emotional screenplay for 'Play Dead' to life through a masterful building of suspense and riveting performances."
Nocturnal Entertainment's Keaton Heinrichs and Akiva Nemetsky added: "From the first read, we knew 'Play Dead,' with its bold set pieces and unyielding tension, was a movie we needed to make and that Jaume was the perfect filmmaker for it. He has the rare ability to build tension with precision, and his execution of the script speaks to all his strengths as a world-class filmmaker. We couldn't be more excited to launch 'Play Dead' as our first film under the Nocturnal banner."
Representation includes Collet-Serra by LBI, Jupe by WME and Brillstein Entertainment Partners, and Schweighöfer by UTA and Untitled. The launch at EFM positions the film for international distribution opportunities.