Film 'Hunting Matthew Nichols' Opens on 1,000 Screens
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- Hunting Matthew Nichols was shot in 12 days in 2023 on a $275,000 budget, blending true‑crime documentary and horror elements.
- Moon7 secured theatrical distribution for the film on more than 1,000 American screens this weekend, and presales covered the entire budget before release.
- John Fithian advised the filmmakers to pursue a theatrical release rather than an early distribution deal, influencing their strategy.
- Regal Cinema offered the film an initial rollout of 1,000‑1,200 screens, exceeding the team’s expectations of a modest indie release.
- Kai Gayoso orchestrated a guerrilla marketing campaign that included a Griffith Observatory banner, missing‑person flyers with QR codes, and an ARG website, generating over 5,000 organic QR scans.
- Reddit sleuths predicted the film’s inclusion in AMC’s Scream Unseen preview series, providing early word‑of‑mouth buzz two weeks before release.
- Vancouver audience gave the film a sold‑out hometown premiere on April 2, highlighting local support for Canadian productions.
Why it matters: The film’s $275k budget being fully funded before opening and its 1,000‑screen U.S. debut prove that low‑budget indie productions can bypass traditional studio pipelines, giving filmmakers and small distributors a viable theatrical revenue model while offering audiences fresh content beyond mainstream releases.
