Veena Sud is no stranger to the tangled streaming rights game when it comes to distribution.
After her Quibi series folded, the filmmaker is now bringing her breakout horror hit “The Stranger” to Hulu with a new director’s cut. “Longlegs” actress and horror staple Maika Monroe plays a rideshare driver who goes through a twelve-hour fight for survival when she picks up Carl (Dane DeHaan), a passenger who becomes her worst nightmare. Avan Jogia co-stars in the former series which is now a feature film.
“The Stranger” began as a Quibi series, which meant that Sud co-owned the copyright to the work, as part of the Quibi business model. Sud is now able to “self-distribute” the footage, recut as a feature. (Look out for a new IndieWire interview with Sud, coming soon.)
“For artists and creatives in the industry, the right to own one’s work has been a decades-long
struggle. From the creation of United Artists in 1919, to Paul Newman, Barbra Streisand, and
Sidney Poitier establishing First Artists in 1969, and to Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas
founding American Zoetrope, artists have strived to find ways to navigate this industry while
maintaining copyright ownership and creative integrity,” Sud said in a director’s statement.
She added, “Copyright ownership allows the artist to continue to advocate for projects we’ve poured our blood, sweat, and tears into when others, such as studios and distributors, have moved on. It keeps the work alive in the face of a ‘market’ that is focused on making as much money as possible and sacrificing quality artistic storytelling. That’s my job as an artist, as all artists know, to fight for the life of my work.”
Sud continued, “So when Jeffrey Katzenberg offered copyright ownership as one of the perks of doing a Quibi TV series with ‘The Stranger,’ I couldn’t resist. At the time, Quibi allowed artists to co-own
the copyright to our work, and this right – which I wasn’t able to secure for any of my other
projects – has allowed me the freedom to ‘self-distribute’ in the vein of indie filmmakers and
advocate to find alternate ways to showcase my TV series. Filmmakers and creators who are
able to tell stories that may not survive a fickle marketplace must have alternate ways to get our
work out in a world that’s hungry for it. And, the world is hungry for good material.”
Sud reflected on her now-defunct series “The Killing” which aired on AMC, and shared that her determination to support the show in part led to the recreation of “The Stranger” as a feature. Sud was also previously attached to a Paramount remake of Alfred Hitchock’s “Suspicion,” which was announced in 2012 as her feature debut.
“I did not let ‘The Killing’ die, even when they tried to kill it twice. I bring that same
determination and perseverance to ‘The Stranger.’ Although the courageous and cool Quibi
experiment didn’t work, I know my film is important to get out there,” Sud said. “It’s a story about justified female rage and vengeance in this current moment where we as women have so much to be
angry about. A fitting story for today’s world. So, here I am today presenting my creation, my owned work, into a newly re-cut feature film.”
“The Stranger” premieres a recut version April 15 on Hulu. Check out the trailer below.
