Magenta Light Studios Buys Lice for 2027

Magenta Light Studios has picked up North American theatrical rights to Lice, pushing the 1980s-set horror-thriller toward a Q1 2027 release.

The deal gives Bob Yari’s company a new genre title with recognizable names up front: Emile Hirsch, Justin Long, and Kevin Connolly. Reports indicate the film centers on a deadly parasite outbreak at a Long Island high school, a setup that blends body-horror tension with a contained, nostalgic setting. Jonathan Bensimon directs, marking his feature debut.

A contained outbreak story, a familiar school setting, and a known cast give Lice a clear theatrical pitch as it moves toward release.

The acquisition surfaced during Cannes, where distribution deals often reveal which projects buyers believe can cut through a crowded market. In this case, the hook looks straightforward: a horror premise rooted in a school infestation nightmare, scaled up into something far more lethal. The cast alone gives the film a stronger commercial profile than many first-feature genre entries.

What remains unclear is how wide the eventual release will be and when marketing will begin. Sources suggest the film will lean on its cast, its 1980s setting, and its parasite-outbreak premise to stand out in a marketplace that still rewards tightly pitched horror. The next step now shifts from dealmaking to positioning: how Magenta Light Studios sells Lice to audiences, and whether the film can turn a simple fear into a compelling theatrical event.