A chilling teaser for Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming psychological thriller, ‘Presence,’ has been released, offering a glimpse into the haunted house at the center of the film. The story follows a family of four – Rebecca (Lucy Liu), Chris (Chris Sullivan), Tyler (Eddy Maday), and Chloe (Callina Liang) – who soon discover their new home is anything but ordinary. They find themselves under the watchful eye of a supernatural entity, its presence a constant source of unease.
The teaser, from the perspective of the paranormal being, captures a sense of dread as it gazes outside a window before panning into the darkened interior of the house. The haunting atmosphere is further enhanced by the presence of Julia Fox and West Mulholland, adding to the film’s cast.
‘Presence,’ written by David Koepp, is inspired by Soderbergh’s own experiences living in a house rumored to have witnessed a tragic event – a daughter killing her mother. Soderbergh, known for his consistent output, has maintained a steady stream of releases since 2017, including notable titles like ‘Logan Lucky,’ ‘The Laundromat,’ ‘No Sudden Move,’ ‘Kimi,’ and ‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance.’
‘Presence’ received positive reviews upon its debut at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, earning a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes and an 80 on Metacritic. This marks Soderbergh’s return to Sundance since his breakthrough film, ‘Sex, Lies, and Videotape,’ won the Audience Award in 1989.
Neon has acquired distribution rights to the horror film for $5 million, adding ‘Presence’ to a successful year for the company, which also secured the Palme d’Or at Cannes with ‘Anora’ and achieved a record-breaking box office opening with ‘Longlegs.’ The film is set to have its international premiere at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival as part of the Centerpiece sidebar. Neon plans to release ‘Presence’ in theaters in January 2025.
