Blumhouse has made a name for itself by releasing a number of micro-budget horror films that have earned big box office dollars. But the way in which the production company, and its founder, Jason Blum, are able to do this is with a talented group of filmmakers, many of which without the opportunity to helm a blockbuster film prior. And it appears that’s the case, yet again, as Blumhouse has signed Issa López as the director for a new film, “Our Lady of Tears.”
According to Deadline, Blumhouse has brought on López to write and direct a new horror film, titled “Our Lady of Tears.” The film is based on the Epic magazine article, “The Haunting of Girlstown,” which is written by Daniel Hernandez and eventually published online by Vox. The story follows a mass hysteria epidemic (with possible supernatural elements) that started at Villa de las Niñas, an all-girls Catholic School in Mexico.
López is probably best known for her most recent feature, the horror film titled “Tigers are Not Afraid.” That film debuted at Fantastic Fest in 2017 before going on a long festival tour throughout 2018, where the horror feature earned critical acclaim and turned López into one of the hottest names in genre filmmaking.
“The moment I read the Epic article, I knew I wanted to tell this story,” said López. “I myself attended a Catholic school in Mexico City. I grew up on a steady diet of supernatural visitations and miracles, and of the real life horrors that young girls who grow up in poverty face every day in Mexico, and around the world. Having the chance to tell that story with Jason and his team, producers of such socially incisive genre classics like ‘Get Out,’ and of so many true horror gems, is a huge privilege. I couldn’t be more excited about this movie.”
Blum added, “The Blumhouse team was enthralled by the original article and Daniel’s deep reporting around such a terrifying and heartbreaking story. Ever since I first watched ‘Tiger’s Are Not Afraid,’ I have wanted to find a project to collaborate on with Issa and I knew this was a perfect fit. I can’t wait for audiences to see her take on this material.”
There’s no release date set for “Our Lady of Tears,” but considering Blumhouse works fast, we could see the feature sooner rather than later.