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| image = Dear_david_2023_poster.png
| image = Dear_david_2023_poster.png
| alt =
| alt =
| caption = Teaser poster
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[John McPhail (director)|John McPhail]]
| director = [[John McPhail (director)|John McPhail]]
| screenplay = Mike Van Waes
| screenplay = Mike Van Waes

Revision as of 12:09, 13 October 2023

Dear David
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn McPhail
Screenplay byMike Van Waes
Story by
  • Mike Van Waes
  • Evan Turner
Based onDear David
by Adam Ellis
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyStephen Whitehead
Edited byDavid Arthur
Production
companies
Distributed byLionsgate
Release date
  • October 13, 2023 (2023-10-13)
Running time
95 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Dear David is a 2023 American supernatural horror film directed by John McPhail, based on Adam Ellis' Twitter thread of the same name. It stars Augustus Prew as Ellis with Andrea Bang, René Escobar Jr., Cameron Nicoll, and Justin Long in supporting roles. The film is the third co-production between BuzzFeed Studios and Lionsgate Films.

It follows the story of Ellis (Prew) who, after retaliating with Twitter trolls, finds himself haunted by the specter of a boy at the mercy of demons.

The film was released in theaters and to streaming and digital formats on October 13, 2023, by Lionsgate.[2]

Premise

Former BuzzFeed employee Adam Ellis (Prew) becomes haunted by the ghost of a boy possessed by a demonic entity.

Cast

Production

Dear David was a Twitter thread created by BuzzFeed writer Adam Ellis in which he describes his encounter with a ghost.[3] The story was updated between August 7 and December 12, 2017, and went viral online, gaining Ellis over 1 million followers on Twitter. On June 6, 2018, BuzzFeed Studios announced its plan to adapt the story into a feature film, with Mike Van Waes writing the screenplay.[4] In an interview, Ellis said his story was based on actual events and that he had "never been interested in convincing anyone that ghosts are real – I just wanted to tell my story."[5] In November 2018, New Line Cinema acquired the rights to the story.[6]

In July 2020, BuzzFeed Studios and Lionsgate Films announced a partnership to produce and distribute a number of feature films.[7] In November 2021, BuzzFeed and Lionsgate acquired the rights to the story from New Line Cinema and hired John McPhail to direct.[8] Production took place in Toronto, Canada, and wrapped in December 2021.[9][10] In January 2022, Justin Long, Augustus Prew, and Andrea Bang were confirmed to star.[11]

Release

Originally, the film was set for a 2022 release,[11] however Lionsgate pushed back the release date to October 13, 2023.[2]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 11% of 9 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.5/10.[12]

Paul Lê of Tales From The Paulside gave a score of two-and-a-half stars out of five, positively commenting on the mystery surrounding Ellis' fate off-screen, but noted that "devout followers of the actual Dear David story may be disappointed to learn this isn't a verbatim adaptation".[13] Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting also gave a rating of two-and-a-half stars out of five, who disliked the pacing, calling it "a rather sleepy affair", and told readers to revisit the original Twitter thread "for genuine frights".[14]

Avi Offer, writing for NYC Movie Guru, compared the film to The Exorcist: Believer, calling them "undercooked, lazy and disappointing" as well as lacking risks. He adds that the film "leaves the audience underwhelmed and hungry for more palpable horror and suspense."[15] Kristy Puchko, in her review for Mashable, stated that the film "plays like a bad nightmare", further criticizing the lack of coherence and shock value.[16]

References

  1. ^ "Dear David (15)". British Board of Film Classification. August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Peralta, Diego (July 19, 2023). "Adam Ellis' Legendary 'Dear David' Tale Gets Haunting First Trailer [Exclusive]". Collider. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  3. ^ Ellis, Adam (August 7, 2017). "My Apartment Is Being Haunted By The Ghost Of A Dead Child And I'm Not Sure What To Do". BuzzFeed. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  4. ^ Verhoeven, Beatrice (June 6, 2018). "Dear David: It Producer, BuzzFeed to Develop Horror Film Based on Viral Ghost Story (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  5. ^ Verhoeven, Beatrice (June 6, 2018). "Dear David Writer Who Scored Film Deal Says His Ghost Story Is True (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  6. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 1, 2018). "New Line Takes Rights To Viral Social Media Buzzfeed Ghost Story Dear David". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  7. ^ Kroll, Justin (July 28, 2020). "Lionsgate And BuzzFeed Launch Motion Picture Partnership". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  8. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (November 17, 2021). "Dear David: Lionsgate & BuzzFeed Team For Movie Thriller About Twitter Ghost Story That Went Viral". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  9. ^ McPhail, John (December 14, 2021). I've only got three more days left with my wonderful crew and I'm going to miss them all. Retrieved January 5, 2022 – via Instagram.
  10. ^ Williams, Jeff Jr. (December 23, 2021). A month in the 6ix #DearDavid #Wrapped #nospoilers. Toronto, Canada. Retrieved January 5, 2022 – via Instagram.
  11. ^ a b Verhoeven, Beatrice (January 4, 2022). "Justin Long, Augustus Prew, Andrea Bang Join Dear David Movie Produced by BuzzFeed, Lionsgate (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  12. ^ "Dear David". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  13. ^ Lê, Paul (October 11, 2023). "'Dear David' review – Creepy Twitter thread is turned into a supernatural psychodrama". Tales from the Paulside. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  14. ^ Navarro, Meagan (October 11, 2023). "'Dear David' Review – A Supernaturally Charged Cautionary Tale for the Internet Age". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  15. ^ "Reviews for October 13th, 2023". NYC Movie Guru. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  16. ^ Puchko, Kristy (October 11, 2023). "'Dear David' review: Welcome to the biggest disappointment of Halloween 2023". Mashable. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
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