Production label The Number 44 has teamed with podcast company Stak on two projects: a podcast titled “Ten Minutes of Terror” and a black comedy feature based on Stak’s “Jackie the Ripper” podcast.
Established by studio and financier Goldfinch, The Number 44 is dedicated to genre content, from horror and thriller to sci-fi and LGBTQIA. It is led by producer and director Ben Charles Edwards (“Father of the Flies”).
“Ten Minutes of Terror,” a series of 10-minute ghost stories, is set to launch in spring.
The Number 44 has also optioned “Jack the Ripper” with Joel Emery (“The Offensive”) attached to write. Described as a “laugh-out loud, timely comedy-drama retelling of the infamous Whitechapel killings of the 19th century,” it is set 150 years after the Ripper terrorised East London.
Goldfinch have a first-look deal with Stak. The company also recently released its first feature, “Father of the Flies.”
“The Number 44 was born out of our experience making ‘Father of the Flies,’” said Kirsty Bell, CEO and founder at Goldfinch. “There was a clear opportunity to respond to market needs and utilise our in-house talent pool to deliver high-quality genre content on commercially astute budgets. As we build on the creative and commercial success of ‘Father of the Flies,’ these new projects with Stak perfectly underscore of our ambition of this label, and our goal to set a precedent of outstanding style and delivery within the independent film and content sector.”
Charles Edwards added: “Through The Number 44 we’re dedicated to offering a great platform for storytellers to have their ideas heard and to tell the most terrifying and thought-provoking stories of modern times – whether that’s on screen or via audio content. Our thrilling new projects with Stak aim to achieve just that – from the spine-chilling tales in “Ten Minutes of Terror” to the gruesome yet hilarious retelling of the Jack the Ripper murders, we can’t wait to bring these eclectic and authentic stories to audiences.”
On the “Ten Minutes of Terror” podcast, Stak’s Luke Moore said: “These short but effective bitesize ten minutes will have the flexibility to be far more innovative, diverse and disruptive in the podcast space, as opposed to the longer series told over several episodes.”