A new horror is hitting the streets of Los Angeles! Award-winning filmmaker Deon Taylor (Fatale, The Intruder, Black and Blue) is teaming up with Tommy Oliver’s Confluential Films for a chilling new movie, Don’t Open the Door. Taylor will write and direct, with his Hidden Empire Film Group partner, Roxanne Avent Taylor, producing.
New Fear Unlocked
Confluential Films, a celebrated Black-owned and Black-founded production company and financier, is also producing and co-financing the film under their recently launched horror label, “New Fear Unlocked.” This collaboration marks an exciting moment for Black creatives in the horror genre.
Deon Taylor expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “Returning to the director’s chair with a story this bold is a moment I’ve been waiting for. This partnership with Tommy Oliver and Confluential Films isn’t just timely—it’s a powerful move rooted in vision, ownership, and the evolution of horror through a Black creative lens.”
Tommy Oliver echoed this excitement: “The combination of Confluential and Hidden Empire is going to be straight fire. Deon is an artist, an entrepreneur, and a marketing genius who I’m incredibly excited to work with. We’re also proud to be shooting this, and another film in the fall, in Los Angeles, where we can support the local economy and get to sleep in our own beds!”
A Gritty Backdrop
Don’t Open the Door is set against the gritty and atmospheric backdrop of South Central L.A.’s West Adams district. This isn’t your typical jump-scare horror. The film is an elevated horror experience rooted in real-world trauma and dread. Taylor aims to fuse tension with existential fear. It will continue his tradition of pushing the genre into the emotional depths of human experience.
Cameras Roll this Summer
Production is slated to begin in Los Angeles this July, bringing this terrifying vision to life in the setting that inspired it. A comic book element that will expand the film’s narrative universe will add an intriguing layer to the project.
Tommy Oliver and Gerren Crochet are producing for Confluential Films, alongside Roxanne Avent Taylor and Omar Joseph for Hidden Empire Film Group. Malcolm Spellman and Lexx Fusco are executive producers.
Hidden Empire and Confluential Films
Hidden Empire Film Group continues to make waves with a powerful lineup of projects in development. This includes the reboot of the horror classic Blacula. It unveiled the untold story of civil rights icon John Lewis. They also brought you the four-part docuseries on boxing legend Floyd Mayweather. Known for films like Black and Blue and the Meet the Blacks franchise, Hidden Empire has established a reputation for delivering elevated, genre-bending content.
Hidden Empire has consistently landed top-five box office debuts, demonstrating the audience’s desire for smart, Black-led, independent cinema. This partnership between two of the industry’s most dynamic, Black-owned studios signifies a powerful alignment, emphasizing the importance of ownership, vision, and cultural authenticity in today’s entertainment landscape.
