“Good Boy” Aims for Box Office Bite: IFC Films Bets on Canine Horror for Fall Release
Los Angeles, CA – August 22, 2024 – IFC Films is placing a critically important bet on the horror film “Good Boy,” aiming to replicate the theatrical success of recent indie hits like “Late Night with the Devil” and “In a Violent Nature.” The film, directed by Miguel Ángel León, centers around a boy and his dog, and is slated for a wide theatrical release on October 3rd. A surge in Google searches related to the dog’s fate, as evidenced by recent search traffic data (see image), suggests early audience engagement.
IFC Entertainment Group head Scott Shooman emphasized the company’s commitment to identifying and amplifying “fascinating, noisy product” as major studios increasingly focus on broader, four-quadrant films. ”We’re a bespoke company and we really pay attention to what people want to see,” Shooman told IndieWire. “Last year was our second-best theatrical year ever and we want to continue that.”
The strategy builds on the success of “Late Night with the Devil,” which reached 1,400 screens in 2024 and grossed $10 million, and “In a Violent Nature,” which also played in 1,400 theaters, earning $4.2 million. These films currently rank as the #4 and #16 highest-grossing releases in IFC’s history, respectively. While 2002’s “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” holds the top spot with a massive $241 million, Shooman clarified that IFC’s involvement was limited to a distribution service deal, making Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood” ($25 million gross) the company’s true biggest hit.The push for theatrical success comes after a restructuring within IFC Films. Following the departure of former president Arianna Bocco in March 2023, Scott Shooman was appointed to the role. As part of this shift, the company consolidated its genre content under its streaming platform, Shudder, sunsetting the IFC Midnight imprint. “Good Boy” will be branded with both the IFC and Shudder logos, though a specific streaming release date remains unconfirmed.
“We have different windows for different types of films, and we’re working on that for ‘Good Boy’ as we speak,” Shooman explained. “We never want to pre-announce a date prematurely. What we can say is we hope everyone sees it in theaters on October 3rd,and that’s really where we’re pointing people right now.”
Notably, “Good Boy” distinguishes itself from previous IFC horror successes with a PG-13 rating. “I don’t think there’s any age limit on loving dogs,” Shooman stated. The film’s unique origin story - director Miguel Ángel León made the film with his own dog – is also being highlighted as a key marketing element. “It’s exactly the story of how you’d want an independent movie to have come together,” Shooman said. ”This is his dog! This is not a stage dog, and it’s just like this is the magic and why we all got into this business.”
the film’s production utilized advanced camera technology, as highlighted in a recent IndieWire gallery showcasing the Alexa 35 and Sony Venice cameras used at SXSW 2025.
Brian Welk contributed to this report.
“Good Boy” releases in theaters from IFC on Friday, October 3.