New Line Cinema Announces First-Look Production Deal With Boulderlight Pictures’ J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules

The two companies seal the new pact on the heels of their recently announced first collaboration to produce the fast-tracked feature “Weapons,” writer/director Zach Cregger’s highly anticipated follow-up to his 2022 hit feature “Barbarian”

(Burbank, CA) – New Line Cinema has entered into a multi-year first-look feature agreement with BoulderLight Pictures, the production company founded by J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules.  The announcement was made by Richard Brener, President and Chief Creative Officer, New Line Cinema.

Specializing in high-concept, filmmaker-driven genre stories, the BoulderLight team will reunite with acclaimed filmmaker Zach Cregger following their successful collaboration on the latter’s solo writing/directing debut – 2022’s breakout horror hit “Barbarian” – to produce the recently announced fast-tracked feature “Weapons” at New Line.

“J.D. and Rafi share a passion for cinema that puts the audience first,” said Brener. “They have a proven ability to identify and champion stories and filmmakers that transcend genre, and no one works harder or faster as evidenced by the fact they set up a go movie with us before even moving into their offices.  We couldn’t be more excited to partner with them.”

“We have long referenced New Line Cinema as the gold standard of genre entertainment, and are incredibly grateful to be moving into the ‘House that Freddy Built.’ It is truly a dream come true to get to work alongside so many people we genuinely admire, and we are elated to help continue the New Line legacy and remind people why they love going to the movies,” said Lifshitz and Margules in a joint statement.

Since founding BoulderLight Pictures in 2012, Lifshitz and Margules have produced 20 films under the BoulderLight banner, including “Barbarian,” “The Vigil,” “Gone in the Night,” and four-time Independent Spirit Award nominee “Wild Indian.”  Upcoming projects include “The Wrath of Becky,” the sequel to their 2020 hit Lulu Wilson and Kevin James starrer “Becky”; and “The Dating Game,” the feature directorial debut for Oscar nominee Anna Kendrick (“Up in the Air”), who also stars. Jack Whigham at Range Media Partners advised on the deal, which was negotiated by Benjamin Rubinfeld and Dean Bahat of Ziffren Brittenham.