Vertical Entertainment has secured North American rights to the horror feature Lullaby, directed by Annabelle‘s John R. Leonetti, from its financier Alcon Entertainment, slating it for release in select theaters and on VOD on December 16. (Watch Lullaby‘s new trailer, unveiled this morning, by clicking above.)

Pic follows a new mother who discovers a lullaby in an ancient book and regards the song as a blessing. But her world transforms into a nightmare when the lullaby brings forth the ancient demon Lilith. Oona Chaplin (Avatar franchise) and Ramón Rodríguez (The Affair) lead the cast, which also includes Liane Balaban (You Can Live Forever), Kira Guloien (Women Talking) and Moni Ogunsuyi (The Umbrella Academy).

Alex Greenfield and Ben Powell wrote the script, with Alcon’s Broderick Johnson and Andrew A. Kosove (Blade Runner 2049) producing alongside Envision Media Arts’ Lee Nelson and David Tish (The Ice Road). Exec producers included Alcon’s Carl Rogers and Scott Parish, Heroes and Villains’ Markus Goerg, Mikhail Nayfeld and Dick Hillenbrand, B3 Media’s Jeff Bowler, John Lewis and Bret Saxon, and Wonder Street’s Mark Holder.

“We are thrilled to be in business with industry leader Alcon Entertainment to release horror aficionado John Leonetti’s Lullaby,” said Vertical Entertainment Partner Peter Jarowey. “John’s love of the genre is renowned, and we feel it is the perfect film that our audience will flock to this holiday season.”

Vertical Entertainment’s current and upcoming releases include Michael Jacobs’ Maybe I Do starring Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, Richard Gere, William H. Macy, Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey; K. Asher Levin’s Good Side of a Bad Man starring Emile Hirsch, Thomas Jane, Harvey Keitel and Ashley Benson; Darren Le Gallo’s Sam & Kate starring Dustin Hoffman and Sissy Spacek; Hans Canosa’s The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Gabrielle Zevin; John Patton Ford’s Sundance 2022 thriller Emily the Criminal starring Aubrey Plaza, who is nominated for a 2022 Gotham Award for Outstanding Lead Performance; the 2022 SXSW thriller Gone in the Night, directed by Eli Horowitz and starring Winona Ryder and John Gallagher Jr.; Krystin Ver Linden’s Sundance 2022 pic Alice, starring Keke Palmer, Common, Gaius Charles and Jonny Lee Miller; and John Michael McDonagh’s The Forgiven, starring Ralph Fiennes, Jessica Chastain and Matt Smith, which premiered at Tribeca 2022.

Jarowey negotiated the deal for Lullaby on behalf of Vertical, with Scott Parish on behalf of Alcon.

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