James Ashcroft Directing Feature Film Adaptation of ‘Old Haunts’ for AWA Studios

By Brent Lang, Variety

James Ashcroft will direct the feature film adaptation of Old Haunts. The “Coming Home In the Dark” filmmaker was tapped for the gig by AWA Studios, the film and television division of Artists, Writers & Artisans (AWA), which published the popular graphic novel that is inspiring the movie.

Ashcroft will direct the Old Haunts adaptation from a script by in-demand scribe Aaron Rabin, who is hot off of the newly launched Marvel series, “Secret Invasion.” Zach Studin, president of AWA Studios, will produce the movie.

Since the world premiere of “Coming Home In The Dark” at Sundance, where the psychological thriller made a stir, Ashcroft has become an in-demand filmmaker, lining up projects with AGBO, Legendary and Netflix.

“James Ashcroft is a cinematic force, with an incredible vision for this explosive story that collides the genres of crime and horror,” Studin said. “His ability to capture heart-wrenching performances, while delivering gripping tension, dread and propulsive thrills make him the perfect director for this film.”

“I’ve always been drawn to the thrill of a sophisticated ghost story, but it’s the literal ghosts of one’s past — the specters of regret, hubris and trauma — that are often the most terrifying,” added Ashcroft. “This is what lies at the dark heart of Old Haunts, and I couldn’t be more excited about realizing it for the screen with this incredible company of collaborators.”

According to the official description, Old Haunts will be a mixture of horror and gangster genres. It  follows three made men standing on the brink of retirement, who find their unbreakable bond put to the test when they are suddenly assaulted by the ghosts of their past. Confronted by decades of buried secrets — resentments, affairs, double-crosses, and murders — the three friends have no choice but to unearth the deepest, darkest sin from their past and pray they don’t find an empty grave. The original comic series was written by Ollie Masters, who wrote “The Kitchen” and  “Snow Blind,” and Rob Williams, the writer of “Low Life” and “Ghost Rider.” It was drawn by artist Laurence Campbell (“Breathing Space,” “The Punisher”), colored by Lee Loughridge, lettered by Sal Cipriano and edited by AWA Founder and Chief Creative Officer Axel Alonso.

AWA Studios has announced feature film adaptations of Chariot by Bryan Edward Hill and Priscilla Petraites, which Warner Bros. acquired in competitive bidding; Marjorie Finnegan: Temporal Criminal by Garth Ennis and Goran Sudzuka, which Ruben Fleischer will direct; and Hotell by John Lees and Dalibor Talajić, to be directed by Elle Callahan, among additional projects currently in active development.

AWA is represented by Grandview, and Ashcroft and Rabin are represented by CAA and Grandview.