Bold statement: The way Osgood Perkins is moving to Canada isn’t just about a change of scenery—it’s a bold rethinking of where indie horror can thrive. But here’s where it gets controversial: does success abroad prove American cinema isn’t enough to sustain bold, low-budget fright films?
Osgood Perkins is riding a notable run, following the releases of Longlegs and The Monkey, both shot in Vancouver, and he’s now filming his fourth feature there with The Young People, after a rare box-office stumble with Keeper this fall. He told The Hollywood Reporter, ahead of a horror master class at the Whistler Film Festival, that he’s found a fruitful grassroots network in Vancouver—new collaborators, steady progress, and the kind of team that can achieve what’s notoriously challenging in independent theatrical releases.
Perkins has teamed with Vancouver-based producer Chris Ferguson (Backrooms) of the indie banner Oddfellows, supported by a first-look deal with Neon. Neon will serve as the home for Perkins’ projects that he and Ferguson develop together, signaling a strong ongoing relationship between the director and Canadian production capacity.
With permanent residency in Canada on the horizon, Perkins is choosing to stay in Vancouver with his wife and young son, rather than returning to the U.S. He notes that permanent residency brings financial perks and helps his family feel rooted—his six-year-old attends school there. Ferguson emphasizes Vancouver’s warmth toward Perkins and his crew, drawing a comparison to Toronto’s embrace of Guillermo del Toro, who has benefited from Canadian production over the years. Perkins describes his working circle as a familial production team, which makes staying long-term feel natural and important.
Perkins expresses a preference for close, ongoing collaborations—working with editors and crew who are known and nearby, rather than constantly interfacing with distant personnel. He also observes a broader shift in the American indie scene, noting that many releases struggle, which makes the success he and his team have achieved feel especially meaningful. In his view, keeping momentum and continuing to output content is crucial as the industry’s traditional theatrical window tightens.
The decision to remain in Vancouver aligns with Perkins’ wider network, including producer Brian Kavanaugh-Jones of Range and collaborators like Mike Flanagan, Sean Baker, Samantha Quan, Zach Lipovsky, and Finn Wolfhard, all of whom support investments in Vancouver’s cinema scene, including efforts to rescue the historic Park Theatre on Cambie Street.
Perkins paints Vancouver as a vibrant, liberal, and artistically engaged city that prioritizes its residents. His journey north began in late 2022 with a script for Longlegs, a project that gained traction during a period when the industry was reeling from pandemic-related upheaval. The film, produced with Nicolas Cage and steeped in occult horror, helped put Perkins on a winning trajectory. Neon released Longlegs to strong critical reception and a global box office of about $128 million on a $10 million budget, with domestic earnings of about $75 million making it one of the year’s top indie hits.
Following that success, The Monkey debuted domestically to $14 million and globally to nearly $69 million, further consolidating Perkins’ momentum. Keeper, though smaller in scale, was quickly produced and completed in pre-production phases for The Monkey. Keeper, distributed by Neon, has generated about $4.8 million worldwide to date, which Perkins frames as a successful, purpose-driven project that served its crew and investors well.
Perkins dismisses online chatter about slowing his pace, arguing that the industry window for theatrical releases is tightening and that rapid, steady production helps filmmakers navigate a changing landscape. He sees the current climate as a gauntlet to bypass—where output and adaptability become essential for survival and creative vitality.
As Whistler Film Festival closes, Perkins’ ongoing production slate in Vancouver signals a deliberate shift in how indie horror can flourish: through long-term roots, strong local partnerships, and a willingness to embrace opportunities beyond traditional U.S.-based routes. Whether this model becomes a blueprint for others remains a point of lively debate among critics and filmmakers alike.
