Screen Media Ventures, LLC, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) company, has announced the acquisition of 11th Hour Cleaning for a digital and video-on-demand release on July 5, 2022. The film marks the feature directorial debut for Ty Leisher. 

Chloe Brooks (Embed), Eddie Finlay (2 Fast 2 Furious), Anita Leeman-Torres (Speed Kills), Ed Morrone (Final Kill) and Dave Baez (Dexter) star in the horror film about a group of crime scene cleaners who struggle to escape a murder house. After becoming trapped by an ancient Nordic demon hell-bent on driving them insane, they must face their most personal regrets and fears through horrific hallucinations. As they uncover what truly happened to the murder victims, they struggle to escape their own deaths by finding and destroying pieces of a relic from Norse mythology that gives the demon power.

“We’re always on the hunt for original, genuinely scary horror content, and 11th Hour Cleaning really delivers,” said Screen Media in a statement. “We look forward to our genre-loving audiences discovering this gem.”

11th Hour Cleaning was directed by Ty Leisher, produced by Eric Brodeur, Ty Leisher, and Ed Morrone. This film is based on a story created by the trio and written by Leisher and Morrone. Thomas Griffith and Carl Katerndahl are the executive producers. The deal was brokered by Logan Taylor and Seth Needle on behalf of Screen Media and by Ty Leisher and Eric Brodeur on behalf of the film.

“This film is the culmination of my childhood years spent tagging along with my parents, who cleaned foreclosed homes. As a result, telling this story was literally inherent in my DNA,” stated Leisher.

“As writers and producers, 11th Hour Cleaning epitomizes the type of films Exit 44 wants to create,” said Brodeur. “We are truly thrilled to partner with Screen Media for this release. Their unfettered belief in the film and support of the story as we’ve told it is refreshing.” 

Screen Media recently acquired Renny Harlin’s action film The Bricklayer starring Aaron Eckhart and Nina Dobrev from Millennium Films, as well as Code Name Banshee starring Antonio Banderas, Jaime King and Tommy Flanagan and The Locksmith starring Ryan Phillippe, Kate Bosworth, and Ving Rhames. Additional recent acquisitions include worldwide rights to the Bella Thorne-led thriller Saint Clare, The Good Neighbor starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, the thriller The Immaculate Room starring Emile Hirsch and Kate Bosworth, and Kevin Lewis’ follow-up to Willy’s Wonderland and The Accursed starring Mena Suvari. Recent film releases include the psychological horror film Monstrous starring Christina Ricci, the psychological thriller Cordelia starring Antonia Campbell-Hughes and Johnny Flynn and Gigi Gaston’s 9 Bullets starring Lena Headey and Sam Worthington. 

ABOUT EXIT 44 ENTERTAINMENT

Co-founded by Eric Brodeur and Ty Leisher in 2020, Exit 44 Entertainment creates mind-bending action and horror stories that leave your head spinning and your heart pumping as the credits roll. Their laser focus is on developing, writing, producing and selling commercially viable action, horror and sci-fi films. The duo has already established Exit 44 as a fast-rising production company having established relationships with distributors such as Screen Media, Vertical Entertainment, Shout Factory, Epic Pictures and more, as well as several industry agencies and a diverse pool of talent. For more: exit44ent.com. 

ABOUT SCREEN MEDIA VENTURES, LLC

Screen Media Ventures, LLC, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) company, acquires the rights to high quality, independent television series and feature films. Screen Media Ventures acquires worldwide rights for distribution through theatrical, home video, pay-per-view, free, cable and pay television, video-on-demand, and new digital media platforms. The company acquires AVOD rights for third party networks and is the main supplier of content for Crackle Plus and other Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment properties. With a library of over 1,500 television series and motion pictures, Screen Media Ventures is one of the largest independent suppliers of high-quality tv series and motion pictures to U.S. and international broadcast markets, cable networks, home video outlets and new media venues. For more information, visit: www.screenmedia.net.

 ABOUT CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL ENTERTAINMENT

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) (the “Company”) operates video-on-demand (VOD) streaming services. The Company owns Crackle Plus, which owns and operates a variety of ad- supported VOD streaming services including Crackle, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Popcornflix, Popcornflix Kids, Truli, Pivotshare, Españolflix and FrightPix. The Company also acquires and distributes video content through its Screen Media and 1091 Pictures subsidiaries and produces original video content through the Chicken Soup for the Soul Television Group. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment is a subsidiary of Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC, which publishes the famous book series and produces super-premium pet food under the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand name.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of management and are not predictions of actual performance. Such assumptions involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to our core strategy, operating income and margin, seasonality, liquidity, including cash flows from operations, available funds, and access to financing sources, free cash flows, revenues, net income, profitability, stock price volatility, future regulatory changes, price changes, the ability of the Company’s content offerings to achieve market acceptance, the Company’s success in retaining or recruiting officers, key employees, or directors, the ability to protect intellectual property, the ability to complete strategic acquisitions, the ability to manage growth and integrate acquired operations, the ability to pay dividends, regulatory or operational risks, and general market conditions impacting demand for the Company’s services. For a more complete description of these and other risks and uncertainties, please refer the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 31, 2022, and the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on May 11, 2022. On May 10, 2022, the Company entered into a merger agreement to acquire Redbox Entertainment, Inc. We refer you to the presentation filed as Exhibit 99.2 under cover of a Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Company with the SEC on May 22, 2022 for information regarding the proposed business acquisition transaction. If the proposed business acquisition is consummated, in addition to the risks noted above, we also face the risks detailed in Redbox’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.