Bob Yari’s Magenta Light Studios has taken North American theatrical rights to Lice, the 1980s horror-thriller set at a Long Island high school that is hit by a deadly parasite outbreak and later placed under military lockdown. The film, which stars Justin Long as Principal Van, is slated for a first-quarter 2027 release in theaters.
Emile Hirsch plays burned-out science teacher Mr. Shanker, while Kevin Connolly appears as Detective Sikorski. Connolly also produced through ActionPark Productions, alongside producer Jeremy Alter. The screenplay was written by Anthony Musella and Shaun Harris, and the deal was announced at Cannes, where Highland Film Group is handling international sales.
For Jonathan Bensimon, Lice is a feature directorial debut built to be a throwback horror ride with dark humor, and the cast gives Magenta Light a title it believes can travel beyond genre devotees. Yari said the script stood out as “a bold, wildly original ride” and called Bensimon’s film “smart” as well as unsettling, adding that the team expects it to play as a memorable theatrical experience.
The timing matters because the film has now been locked into a U.S. theatrical path well ahead of release, with Cannes serving as the launch point for its sales push. Bensimon said he wanted the movie to feel “visceral” and “pulpy,” and to pair that tone with bold, tactile filmmaking; Magenta Light is betting that combination, plus a recognizable cast led by Long, will help the movie cut through when it reaches theaters in Q1 2027.
The unanswered question is whether that throwback approach can land with moviegoers beyond the niche audience that already shows up for school-set horror and creature features. Magenta Light is treating the bet as one for the big screen, and the lockdown at the center of the story suggests it will lean hard into tension, chaos and character rather than nostalgia alone.
