Lionsgate has acquired North American distribution rights to Exists, a new horror film from The Blair Witch Project director Eduardo Sánchez. The film played last night to a sold-out midnight screening at SXSW in Austin.

In Bigfoot’s bold return to the big screen, five friends on a camping weekend in the remote woods of East Texas struggle to survive against a legendary predator that is stronger, smarter, and more terrifying than anything they would have ever believed exists.

The film stars Chris Osborn, Dora Madison Burge, Roger Edwards, Samuel Davis, Denise Williamson and Brian Steele and is produced by Jane Fleming, Mark Ordesky, Robin Cowie and J. Andrew Jenkins. Exists is executive produced by George Waud, D. Todd Shepherd, Gregg Hale and Reed Frerichs, and the Sasquatch creature was designed by Spectral Motion. Jamie Nash wrote the script.

“I’m really excited about working with the talented team at Lionsgate. We’ve had great history together and they really understand ‘Exists’ and see the tremendous opportunity to reboot Bigfoot for a new generation,” said director Sanchez.

Fleming and Ordesky, who developed and produced the film with Haxan Films through their production company Court Five, said, “It is especially gratifying to sell the film at SXSW in Austin so close to Bastrop, Texas where we shot ‘Exists’ with an amazing Texas-based cast and crew. We look forward to working with Lionsgate to bring Ed’s vision to the masses.”