Booked and busy funnyman, Lil Rel Howery, is entering his behind-the-camera era with Horror-Comedy Haunted Heist where he stars alongside a hilarious ensemble cast headlined by Tiffany Haddish and Karlous Miller while making his directorial debut in the raucous romp.
Independently funded and produced, Haunted Heist reflects the emergence of filmmaker-driven storytelling in today’s theatrical marketplace while demonstrating how indie productions push genre boundaries through original stories, fresh perspectives, and bold creative visions.
In Haunted Heist, four estranged friends reunite to pull off the theft of a valuable antique hidden inside a seemingly ordinary home.
But what starts as a simple heist quickly spirals into a terrifying fight for survival when the group discovers the house is haunted by a very wealthy and very racist married couple with evil intentions.
Forced to confront paranormal forces and their own fractured relationships, the group must work together to survive a night of shady (and spicy) secrets, scares, and side-splitting shenanigans.
Check out the trailer below:
Filmed in Detroit, the endlessly entertaining film also stars King Bach, Brett Gelman, Tony Baker, and rising talents Ari Dayan and Tara Terry.
We caught up with Rel at the Atanta premiere to talk his directorial debut, getting Black indie films into theaters, his favorite Black-character-in-a-Horror-movie, and more in our interview below:
“I think a lot of Black creatives need to learn the business of show business, right? And that’s how we get into these theaters,” said Howery about securing theatrical releases for Black indie films.
“This is a beautiful time. Most people are panicking about what’s happening now as far as in our business, but I’m gonna tell you something: learn the business, build relationships with these theater owners directly. Independent filmmakers are killing.”
“If you believe in your work and you think it’s what it is, go directly to the theater owners. Go to CinemaCon, get a bunch of cards because you know they don’t like losing money either, and I think they figured out because of what happened with a lot of with the big IP and, and they took losses with that that, is we need all of us.”
“You need the big IP and you need the independent filmmakers too, because, at the end of the day, honestly, a lot of us are making the movies that the people wanna see.”
Haunted Heist is now playing at a theater near you!
