Vertical Takes North America On ‘Bad Genius,’ J.C. Lee’s English-Language Remake Of Thai Thriller

EXCLUSIVE : Vertical has acquired North American rights to Bad Genius , an English-language remake of the same-name Thai thriller, from Picturestart, Picture Perfect Federation, and Little Ray Media. Marking the directorial debut of J.C. Lee, a veteran producer whose credits include The Morning Show and How to Get Away with Murder , the film is slated to hit select theaters in the U.S and Canada on October 11.

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Bad Genius is a high-stakes, high-octane thriller about a diverse group of students who team up to fight a system of injustice and inequity and take down the rigged academic institutions around them. Released in 2017, the original Thai version was written and directed by Nattawut Poonpiriya and produced by Thai film studio GDH 559 Company Limited. In addition to debuting at #1 at the box office in Thailand, the film quickly became the highest-grossing Thai film of the year and the most internationally successful Thai film ever, breaking box office records in several Asian countries, including China.

Lee scripted the remake with Julius Onah, with whom he previously collaborated on the Sundance Grand Jury Prize nominee Luce , adapted from Lee’s play of the same name. The pic’s cast includes Callina Liang, ( Presence ), Jabari Banks, ( Bel-Air ) and Benedict Wong ( 3 Body Problem ).

Erik Feig, Jessica Switch, Patrick Wachsberger, Ashley Stern and Mallory Edens produced the new take, with Samie Kim Falvey, Julia Hammer, and Wong serving as executive producers.

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In a joint statement, producers Feig and Wachsberger said, “We are very happy to partner with the Vertical team to bring Bad Genius to a wide audience. Working on this film was a wonderful experience, thanks to the quality of the source material as well as that of our production partner, Little Ray Films, and the top international distributors alongside us.”

Remarked Vertical’s SVP of Acquisitions Tony Piantedosi, “J.C. and Julius have brilliantly adapted a fast-paced thriller that examines the moral dilemmas of today’s youth and begs the question of how far someone will go to achieve academic prestige.”

Calling Bad Genius “a provocative and highly entertaining ride,” producer Edens added that she knows the film “will have audiences on the edge of their seats. I can’t wait to share it with the world and am thrilled we have found such a fantastic distribution partner for its North American release in Vertical.”

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