Shout! Studios Acquires North American Rights To Viggo Mortensen’s New Western Feature The Dead Don't Hurt

Shout! Studios, a multi-platform media company, has acquired North American rights to the highly anticipated new Western THE DEAD DON’T HURT from Talipot Studio, Recorded Picture Company, Perceval Pictures, and HanWay Films following a competitive bidding situation. Written and directed by Viggo Mortensen, THE DEAD DON’T HURT marks his second outing as writer-director after his highly acclaimed feature debut, FALLING. THE DEAD DON’T HURT premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to press acclaim and great audience reception, and Vicky Krieps was honored with the prestigious TIFF Tribute Performer Award.

Produced by Regina Solórzano of Talipot Studio, Jeremy Thomas of Recorded Picture Company, and Mortensen’s Perceval Pictures, Vicky Krieps (Corsage, Phantom Thread) and Viggo Mortensen (Thirteen Lives, Green Book) lead an impressive cast that includes Solly McLeod (HBO’s House of the Dragon, Outlander), Garrett Dillahunt (Red Right Hand, Fear the Walking Dead), Colin Morgan (Belfast, Merlin), Ray McKinnon (The Continental, Deadwood), W. Earl Brown (The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett), newcomer Atlas Green, and Danny Huston (The Aviator, Children of Men).

THE DEAD DON’T HURT is a powerful and profoundly personal cinematic Western that artfully blends the action, grit, and thrills of the American West with a captivating love story of two pioneers embarking on a life journey fraught with obstacles. The film offers a unique female-forward perspective, which adds an extra layer of depth and complexity to the story. The film received rave reviews out of the Toronto International Film Festival, with Deadline’s Pete Hammond saying that “John Ford and Howard Hawks would love this movie,” while The Playlist’s Jason Bailey called it “a picture rendered with grace and artistry.” Andy Howell of Film Threat further praised writer-director Viggo Mortensen, saying that THE DEAD DON’T HURT “defies and subverts traditional tropes of the Western, almost deconstructing it in the same way Unforgiven did. … It dares to tell the story of the brutality of life in the West for women” and “shows how those struggles resonate perfectly with so many struggles today.”

Shout! Studios has secured all distribution rights in North America to THE DEAD DON’T HURT, including theatrical, digital, video-on-demand, broadcast, and home entertainment for cross-platform releases. Shout! Studios plans a strategic launch of this movie across all major entertainment platforms, beginning with a wide theatrical launch this summer.

“The aim of THE DEAD DON’T HURT is to do justice to the life of a uniquely resilient woman in a lawless and isolated part of the U.S. Southwest in the 1860s. Vivienne is a woman for all seasons; courageous, unfailingly honest and direct, yet capable of great empathy. The idea was to not simply have a woman play the leading role in a western, but to have her lead the way in our story by virtue of her fiercely uncompromising nature. We are very fortunate to have the talented Vicky Krieps embody this role,” stated Viggo Mortensen.

Regina Solórzano also said; “THE DEAD DON’T HURT revolutionizes the codes of the Western genre, leaving the concept of the war of men aside to witness a love story free of archetypes, and the struggle and determination of a woman to win the most epic of battles: surviving abuse and extreme violence without ever betraying herself.”

“Collaborating with Viggo Mortensen and Regina Solórzano on this exotic and original film with special actors and crew has created a great western for Shout! to bring to American audiences,” stated Jeremy Thomas.

“The Dead Don't Hurt tells a thrilling frontier story from the point of view of two fiercely resourceful immigrants, played with preternatural complexity and empathy by Vicky Krieps and Viggo Mortensen. The ambition, the sacrifice, the violence and the beauty of the wild west are all artfully layered into this most American of westerns. It's a triumph of talent in front of and behind the camera, and we're so proud to share it with audiences hungry for a film that captivates them long after it's over,” stated Jordan Fields, Shout’s Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Originals.

The movie deal was negotiated by Gabrielle Stewart, CEO of HanWay Films and Coline Moret, Business and Legal Affairs for HanWay Films and filmmakers, and Shout’s Jordan Fields, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Originals, and Steven Katz, Shout’s Vice President of Business Affairs.

Vicky Krieps as Vivienne Le Coudy. Photo credit: Marcel Zyskind

Solly McLeod as Weston Jeffries, Viggo Mortensen as Holger Olsen, Atlas Green as little Vincent. Photo credit: Marcel Zyskind

THE DEAD DON’T HURT | Movie Synopsis
THE DEAD DON’T HURT is a story of star-crossed lovers on the western U.S. frontier in the 1860s. Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps) is a fiercely independent woman who embarks on a relationship with Danish immigrant Holgen Olsen (Viggo Mortensen). After meeting Olsen in San Francisco, she agrees to travel with him to his home near the quiet town of Elk Flats, Nevada, where they start a life together. The outbreak of the civil war separates them when Olsen makes a fateful decision to fight for the Union. This leaves Vivienne to fend for herself in a place controlled by corrupt Mayor Rudolph Schiller (Danny Huston) and his unscrupulous business partner, powerful rancher Alfred Jeffries (Garrett Dillahunt). Alfred’s violent, wayward son Weston (Solly McLeod) aggressively pursues Vivienne, who is determined to resist his unwanted advances. When Olsen returns from the war, he and Vivienne must confront and make peace with the person each has become. Both a tragic love story and a nuanced depiction of the conflict between revenge and forgiveness, THE DEAD DON’T HURT is a portrait of a passionate woman determined to stand up for herself in an unforgiving world dominated by ruthless men. 

A Talipot Studio, Recorded Picture Company, Perceval Pictures production in association with HanWay Films.
Written and Directed by Viggo Mortensen.
Starring Vicky Krieps, Viggo Mortensen, Solly McLeod, Garrett Dillahunt, Colin Morgan, Ray McKinnon, W. Earl Brown, Atlas Green, and Danny Huston.
Produced by Regina Solórzano, Jeremy Thomas, p.g.a., Viggo Mortensen, p.g.a.
Executive Producers: Roberto Paxson, Gabriel Terrazas, Ivan Kelava, Daniel Berkerman, Jesper Morthorst, Paula Astorga Riestra, Peter Watson.
Co-Producers: Gia Galligani, Angela Blair.
Director of Photography by Marcel Zyskind, DFF
Production Design by Carol Spier, Jason Clarke
Edited by Peder Pedersen
Costume Design by Anne Dixon
Composer: Viggo Mortensen

About TALIPOT STUDIO
Talipot Studio is a content creation, production, and development studio based in Mexico City founded in 2018, with Regina Solórzano as its CEO to the present day. Serving as a script and concept incubator for feature films, television series and documentaries, it also functions as producer and co-producer of said projects. It has been involved in the realization of highly acclaimed international projects, such as Léos Carax's "Annette," Mia Hansen-Løve's "Bergman Island," Abel Ferrara's "Siberia," Ruben Östlund's "Triangle of Sadness," Laura Mora's "The Kings of the World”, and Lisandro Alonso's "Eureka”. As for original productions, Talipot produced the 2021 film “Tú eres mi problema” directed by Alvaro Curiel and released on Amazon, as well as Viggo Mortensen’s latest film “The Dead Don’t Hurt”, in collaboration with Jeremy Thomas (RPC) and Perceval Pictures.

About RECORDED PICTURE COMPANY
Jeremy Thomas founded Recorded Picture Company in London in 1974, and has since produced over 70 films, including Bernardo Bertolucci’s nine-time Oscar winner The Last Emperor. RPC’s body of work is characterised by its intimate director relationships. Film greats such as Bernardo Bertolucci, Nicolas Roeg, David Cronenberg, Nagisa Ōshima, Takashi Miike and Matteo Garrone have long-standing relationships with the company, amongst many others. RPC has also fostered a new generation of British talent in Jonathan Glazer, David Mackenzie and Ben Wheatley. RPC’s recent releases include Jerzy Skolimowski’s EO, winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes 2022, and nominated for an 2023 Academy Award for Best International Film. www.recordedpicture.com

About PERCEVAL PICTURES
From Perceval Pictures, “The Dead Don’t Hurt” follows Viggo Mortensen’s directorial debut “Falling” as well as previous titles that include Lisandro Alonso’s “Jauja”, David Oelhoffen’s “Far From Men”, and Ana Piterbarg’s “Todos Tenemos Un Plan”.

About SHOUT! STUDIOS
Shout! Studios is a multi-platform media company specializing in film and TV distribution, development, and production. The company has evolved with the changing entertainment landscape to excel in all forms of content distribution, including theatrical, digital streaming, broadcast and in-flight licensing, physical media, and more. Shout! Studios owns and manages a large portfolio of contemporary and classic feature films, series, animation, and documentaries. The company’s creative acquisition mandate has established it as a leading independent distributor, with partners and properties including Aardman Animations, ALF, The Carol Burnett Show, Stephen J. Cannell Productions, the Roger Corman New Horizons Pictures Library, GKIDS, Studio Ghibli, ITV Studios, The Johnny Carson Show, LAIKA Studios, Mystery Science Theater 3000 (in partnership with creator Joel Hodgson), and Sesame Street, alongside many others. Shout! Kids focuses on live-action and animated kids and family properties including anime, and the company releases genre and horror films and television shows under the Scream Factory imprint. Shout! Studios also produces, acquires, and distributes new films, and operates the acclaimed streaming service Shout! TV and its family of FAST channels. Shout! Studios is based in Los Angeles, California. For more on Shout! Studios, visit ShoutStudios.com

About HANWAY FILMS
HanWay Films is a UK based financing, sales, distribution and marketing company with a strong presence in the independent film marketplace.

HanWay’s current slate includes Alonso Ruizpalacios' LA COCINA which premieres In Competition at the upcoming Berlinale. Also making their debut at EFM 2024 are Catherine Hardwicke's rom-com A FRENCH PURSUIT and Stephen Frears' WILDER AND ME in pre production; and Kasia Adamik's WINTER OF THE CROW in post production. Viggo Mortensen's THE DEAD DON'T HURT which premiered as a Special Presentation in Toronto International Film Festival 2023; THE ROYAL HOTEL, Kitty Green's second feature which premiered at Telluride Film Festival 2023; ANSELM, directed by Wim Wenders which premiered as a Special Screening at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival; SHAYDA directed by Noora Niasari, winner of the Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic Section of Sundance 2023, Meg Ryan’s WHAT HAPPENS LATER; and Stefano Mordini’s RACE FOR GLORY. Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s HOT MILK, Uberto Passolini's THE RETURN and Alice Lowe’s TIMESTALKER are currently in post-production. Upcoming films are: Kevin MacDonald’s A SPY BY NATURE; Kieron Hawkes’ BRANDED; Alex Prager's DREAMQUIL; Jaki Bradley & Kevin Armento's THE ONE, Justin Kurzel’s MORNING; Romola Garai’s MONSTROUS BEAUTY & MCCARTHY directed by Václav Marhoul. HanWay - The Collections represents over 350 films, showcasing the very best in filmmaking talent, including films by Bernardo Bertolucci, David Cronenberg, Nicholas Roeg, Jane Campion, Sally Potter, Matteo Garrone, Amos Gitai and Wim Wenders. Available across all media. HanWay - The Collections’ latest addition includes a 4k restoration of David Cronenberg's cult classic NAKED LUNCH received its World Premiere at the Berlin Classics section of the Berlinale Film Festival 2023.

The Cohen Media Group acquired HanWay Films in 2022. Please visit www.hanwayfilms.com for further information.