Losing a pet is always a traumatic experience, no matter how many you’ve had or how long you’ve had them. But what if our love for them is enough to keep their spirit around after they’ve gone — or bring other, darker things with it? That’s the thesis behind the upcoming film The Activated Man, which FANGORIA is excited to debut an exclusive new trailer for.
A poignant reflection on grief, the film follows star Jamie Costa as a man struggling with the loss of his beloved dog, Louis. While his grief is certainly heavy, it also brings with it strange visions of a shadowy figure known as The Fedora Man — and no, it’s not a Benadryl hallucination. Unsure if the visions are real or if his mind has simply fractured, he must confront his fears and dark secrets from his past in order to accept who he is and what he has lost to move on.
The trailer focuses on his love for Louis, and features star and slasher icon Tony Todd reflecting on what the dog meant, and how much the love he was surrounded with has the power to banish even the darkest of forces in the universe. The film also stars numerous other horror icons, including Kane Hodder and Sean Young, as well as Andrew Keegan, Vladimir Kulich, Sab Shimono, Jamie Costa, Ivana Rojas, and Scott Brown.
“The Activated Man embarked on its festival run almost one year ago,” says director Nicholas Gyeney. “We’re so excited to be able to share our special film with audiences throughout North America this December. Not only will our film appeal to fans of horror and the paranormal, we believe it also will resonate with those dealing with loss and grief through spirituality.”
The Activated Man is set to have its premiere in Beverly Hills on December 12 at the Writers Guild Theater, before embarking on a limited theatrical run in a handful of cities the next day, Friday the 13th. (Appropriate, no?) There will also be two special screenings on December 13, with Gyeney and Hodder in attendance, and the film will be available on digital and on demand the same day.
The Activated Man premieres in theaters and on demand in December. Check out the exclusive trailer below:
