‘Host’ Star Haley Bishop to Lead Action-Horror ‘For the Good of the Herd’ as Clever Creature Boards Ahead of AFM (EXCLUSIVE)

Toronto’s Clever Creature Inc. will bring the action-horror feature “For the Good of the Herd” to the American Film Market, with Haley Bishop of AMC Shudder’s “Host” attached to star.

Mark Pritchard wrote and will direct the film, which is set to begin principal photography in the U.K. in November. Clever Creature managing partner Michaelangelo Masangkay is joining as producer alongside Michael Galvan and Sebastien Bazile of Screen Anthology. Galvan is producing in association with U.K. producer Tim Willrich of Limbo Pictures.

The project blends survivalist horror with psychological thriller elements, examining how far people will go to survive when society collapses. Bishop plays Zoe, a protagonist haunted by her past who must tap into darker instincts to make it through.

“This story examines the impact of malign belief structures, the sheer will it takes to deny them, and the lengths a human can go to in serving a conceit of truth,” Pritchard said. “Ultimately for me, humans are the most terrifying monsters. The blurring of lines around belief seems to surface our barbaric gears. Our characters dance around these lines, an uneasy interrogation which provokes personal questions about the nature of predatory forces, what you might do with power, and whether you could be trusted.”

“For The Good Of The Herd really stood out to me as a bold and exhilarating take on horror,” Bishop added. “What drew me to my character, Zoe, was her desperate attempt to shed the guilt of her past, yet ultimately realizing she has to harness those darker impulses in order to survive. And selfishly, getting to be the badass final girl, covered in blood and kicking ass, is a dream role. It’s a story laced with as much paranoia as it is with bone-crunching gore, which I think audiences will love.”

“This project represents the kind of bold, genre-driven filmmaking that Clever Creature is passionate about championing — one that pushes boundaries both creatively and commercially,” Masangkay said. “Mark Pritchard’s vision taps into a primal fear while offering a powerful social undercurrent — and with Haley Bishop leading the cast, we couldn’t be more excited to bring it to audiences worldwide.”

Michael Tomczyk, Kevin Sand, Giselle Gastell, Bianca Consuji and Donovan Rodriques serve as executive producers.

Clever Creature has been building its slate of international genre projects spanning horror, action and elevated cinema. The company, which recently unveiled remakes of Roger Corman’s cult classics, develops and represents content bridging creative talent across Canada, Asia and Europe.