Vertical has acquired North American distribution rights to Pendulum, the horror film directed by Mark Heyman in his feature debut and set for a wide release in theaters on January 1, 2027. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Phoebe Dynevor, Norman Reedus and Jacki Weaver.
The deal gives Vertical a Norman Reedus horror film anchored by a cast that also includes Gordon-Levitt, Dynevor and Weaver, with the company setting a date that lands squarely on the first day of 2027. Vertical partner Peter Jarowey called Pendulum an impressive, terrifying debut from acclaimed screenwriter Heyman and said the company was looking forward to “ringing in 2027 by scaring the hell out of audiences.”
Heyman wrote and directed the project as his first feature behind the camera. He said the film was inspired by real, and really scary, experiences and described the release through Vertical as a dream come true. The film was produced by Darren Aronofsky for Protozoa, Jacob Jaffke and Élan Klein Jaffke for Motel Mojave, and Dave Caplan for C2, which fully financed the project.
That background matters because Pendulum is not arriving as a generic genre title. It comes from the BAFTA-nominated writer of Black Swan and centers on married couple Patrick and Abigail as they travel to a New Mexico retreat after a traumatic event. Patrick grows distrustful of the retreat’s enigmatic leader while Abigail falls under the leader’s spell, setting up the kind of psychological split that has made Heyman’s writing career notable.
The tension in the deal is that Pendulum is being launched as both a prestige debut and a commercial horror play. Vertical is betting on the combination of Gordon-Levitt and Dynevor up front, Reedus and Weaver in support, and a story shaped by intimacy and dread rather than spectacle alone. The filmmakers were represented by UTA Independent Film Group, CAA Media Finance and WME Independent, while Black Bear is handling international sales.
Vertical negotiated the acquisition through Jarowey and senior vice president of acquisitions Tony Piantedosi. With North American rights now in hand and a January 1, 2027 release locked, the next step is the rollout that will determine whether Heyman’s first turn as director can turn a deeply personal story into a New Year’s Day audience draw.
