Intrepid Pictures
Intrepid Pictures is an American independent film and television production company founded in 2005 by Trevor Macy and Marc D. Evans.[1] Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, the company specializes in producing and co-financing commercial genre content, including horror, thrillers, and action films aimed at young adult and global mainstream audiences.[2] It has built a reputation for elevated storytelling in the horror genre through key partnerships and high-profile projects. Intrepid Pictures entered the industry with a multiyear production and co-financing deal with Universal Pictures and its genre label Rogue Pictures, which facilitated early productions such as the horror film The Strangers (2008).[2] Over the years, the company has produced and financed several notable feature films, including Oculus (2013), Hush (2016), Gerald's Game (2017), Before I Wake (2016), Doctor Sleep (2019), and The Life of Chuck (2024), the latter serving as an adaptation of Stephen King's novella.[3][4] In 2019, Intrepid Pictures formalized its partnership with acclaimed filmmaker Mike Flanagan, who joined as a partner, key creative collaborator, and executive producer.[5] This partnership produced The Haunting of Hill House (2018) and led to a multi-year overall television deal with Netflix in 2019, resulting in critically praised horror series such as The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), Midnight Mass (2021), The Midnight Club (2022), and The Fall of the House of Usher (2023).[5] Following the conclusion of their Netflix agreement, Intrepid Pictures signed an exclusive multi-year overall series deal with Amazon Studios in 2022, expanding its scope for developing new projects across streaming platforms.[6]History
Founding and Early Years
Intrepid Pictures was founded in 2005 by Trevor Macy and Marc D. Evans, drawing on their prior industry experiences. Macy had served as chief financial officer at Propaganda Films from 1999 until its closure in 2001, where he helped manage the company's transition away from talent management, and earlier as vice president of the Sundance Group; he also produced the 2002 film Auto Focus. Evans, meanwhile, spent four years as chief financial officer at Revolution Studios from 2000 to 2004, overseeing corporate and production finance planning and execution.[2][7] The company established its initial headquarters in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California, positioning itself in the heart of the entertainment industry. From the outset, Intrepid Pictures focused on producing and co-financing elevated commercial content aimed at global mainstream audiences, with an early emphasis on genre films such as horror and thrillers targeted at young adults. This mission was supported by institutional investors and a credit facility from JPMorgan Chase, enabling the production of multiple films annually.[8][9][2] In 2005, Intrepid Pictures secured its first major partnership through a multiyear, first-look production and co-financing deal with Rogue Pictures, a division of Universal Pictures, committing to a minimum of eight films over five years. This collaboration facilitated Intrepid's entry into feature film development and distribution. The partnership's early output included action and thriller projects, setting the stage for the company's genre specialization.[2][1] Intrepid Pictures launched its debut project trajectory with the development of The Strangers, a psychological horror film directed by Bryan Bertino in his feature directorial debut, which was released in 2008 under the Rogue Pictures banner. Co-produced by Intrepid alongside Vertigo Entertainment and Mandate Pictures, the film starred Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman and centered on a couple terrorized by masked intruders at a remote vacation home, marking the company's initial foray into suspense-driven genre storytelling.[10][1]Growth and Key Partnerships
Following its early years, Intrepid Pictures expanded significantly from 2009 to 2018, focusing on scaling operations and deepening its expertise in independent horror and thriller productions. A pivotal internal development occurred in 2016 with the hiring of Melinda Nishioka as Vice President of Development, where she took charge of overseeing project acquisition and scripting to bolster the company's pipeline.[11] This move supported the studio's growing output, exemplified by mid-period milestones such as the 2013 supernatural horror film Oculus, directed by Mike Flanagan, which marked a key step in Intrepid's specialization within the genre through its blend of psychological tension and commercial appeal.[12] By 2018, Intrepid had built a robust portfolio exceeding 10 films, emphasizing cost-effective, genre-driven content that resonated with audiences seeking elevated scares outside major studio blockbusters. Representative titles from this era included The Strangers (2008), Before I Wake (2016), and The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018), showcasing the company's ability to finance and produce mid-budget thrillers with strong narrative focus. This accumulation not only demonstrated operational maturity but also positioned Intrepid as a reliable partner for genre filmmakers. Strategic alliances further fueled this growth, particularly the multi-year production and co-financing deal signed in 2005 with Universal Pictures and its genre arm Rogue Pictures, which provided non-exclusive first-look access and distribution support for several projects.[2] As the decade progressed, Intrepid shifted toward enhancing streaming viability by collaborating with platforms like Netflix, releasing originals such as Hush (2016), a taut home-invasion thriller that leveraged the service's global reach to amplify the company's independent output.[13] These partnerships enabled broader accessibility and laid the groundwork for Intrepid's evolution in the digital landscape.Recent Developments
In 2019, Intrepid Pictures secured a multi-year overall series deal with Netflix, allowing the company to develop and produce original television content exclusively for the streaming platform.[14] This partnership with key collaborator Mike Flanagan, who joined Intrepid in 2018, facilitated the production of acclaimed horror series such as The Haunting of Bly Manor and Midnight Mass.[15] By December 2022, Intrepid Pictures transitioned to a new exclusive multi-year overall deal with Amazon Studios, shifting its television output to Prime Video and concluding the Netflix arrangement.[16] Under this agreement, led by Trevor Macy and in collaboration with Flanagan, the company committed to developing and producing series and films tailored for Amazon's streaming service, emphasizing genre-driven narratives amid intensifying competition in the streaming landscape.[6] In 2024, Flanagan established his independent production banner, Red Room Pictures, while maintaining ongoing collaborations with Intrepid Pictures on select projects, including adaptations like The Exorcist and Carrie, with the Carrie series wrapping production in October 2025.[17][18][19] This evolution has positioned Intrepid to sustain its focus on horror and thriller genres into 2025, navigating market challenges through strategic partnerships and diversified output, though no major executive hires or financial milestones have been publicly announced in this period.Key Personnel
Founders and Executives
Intrepid Pictures was co-founded in 2005 by Trevor Macy and Marc D. Evans, who established the company as an independent film and television production entity based in Los Angeles, California.[1] Macy, who previously worked at Propaganda Films, has served as the CEO since the company's inception, guiding its strategic direction and forging key industry partnerships. Evans, with prior experience at Revolution Studios where he spent four years as CFO from 2000 to 2004, served as co-CEO until 2013, contributing significantly to the early development of projects before departing to pursue independent ventures.[20] As of 2025, Trevor Macy remains the primary executive leader as CEO, overseeing overall operations and decision-making for partnerships and content strategy. Melinda Nishioka, who joined in 2011 as a production coordinator, was promoted to Vice President of Development in 2016 and now holds the position of Senior Vice President of Film and Television, managing script acquisition, project greenlighting, and creative oversight.[21][22] The executive structure has seen recent additions, including John Scherer, who was appointed Vice President of Development and Production in March 2025, supporting the expansion of the company's slate. Mike Flanagan, a longtime collaborator, served as a partner from 2019 to 2024 but continues to executive produce select projects under the Intrepid banner, such as Shelby Oaks (2025).[23][22]Notable Collaborators
One of the most prominent collaborators with Intrepid Pictures was filmmaker Mike Flanagan, who served as a partner from 2019 to 2024 and directed several key projects, including the feature film Doctor Sleep (2019) and television series such as The Haunting of Hill House (2018) and Midnight Mass (2021).[6] Flanagan's involvement began with an exclusive multi-year overall series deal between Intrepid Pictures and Netflix in 2019, formalizing a seven-year creative partnership that produced multiple horror titles. In 2022, the partnership shifted to Amazon Studios under a new multi-year overall deal, enabling further developments like adaptations of Stephen King's works.[6] Flanagan departed Intrepid in 2024 to launch his own production company, Red Room Pictures, pursuing independent ventures while maintaining ties to genre projects.[24] Other recurring directors have included Bryan Bertino, who helmed The Strangers (2008), an early Intrepid production that established the company's focus on tense, atmospheric thrillers.[25] Kate Siegel, a frequent collaborator with Flanagan and his spouse, has appeared in leading roles across multiple Intrepid-backed projects, including Hush (2016), Gerald's Game (2017), and various episodes of The Haunting anthology series, contributing to nuanced portrayals of vulnerability in horror narratives.[26] Intrepid Pictures has maintained ongoing production alliances with executives at Netflix and Amazon Studios, influencing content selection toward prestige horror and limited series formats since the respective deals in 2019 and 2022.[6] These collaborations have profoundly shaped Intrepid's style, emphasizing psychological horror that explores emotional and supernatural dread, as seen in Flanagan's introspective storytelling and Bertino's grounded suspense, setting the company apart in the genre landscape.[27]Productions
Feature Films
Intrepid Pictures began its feature film output in the mid-2000s with a mix of action, thriller, and comedy projects, often in partnership with Rogue Pictures, a genre-focused imprint of Universal Pictures. Early efforts emphasized high-concept commercial fare aimed at young adult audiences, with budgets typically in the $10-20 million range. As the company evolved, it pivoted toward horror, particularly through long-term collaborations with director Mike Flanagan starting in 2011, producing intimate, psychologically driven narratives distributed by studios like Relativity Media, Blumhouse Productions, Warner Bros., and Netflix. This shift marked Intrepid's transition from broad thrillers to elevated genre storytelling, yielding both critical acclaim and commercial viability in the indie horror space.[2] The company's complete released feature film slate as of November 2025, drawn from production credits, spans 19 titles in chronological order:| Year | Title | Director | Key Cast |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Balls of Fury | Robert Ben Garant | Dan Fogler, Christopher Walken, George Lopez |
| 2007 | The Hitcher | Dave Meyers | Sean Bean, Sophia Bush, Zachary Knighton |
| 2008 | Doomsday | Neil Marshall | Rhona Mitra, Bob Hoskins, Malcolm McDowell, Alexander Siddig |
| 2008 | The Strangers | Bryan Bertino | Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Gemma Ward |
| 2012 | The Raven | James McTeigue | John Cusack, Alice Eve, Luke Evans |
| 2012 | The Cold Light of Day | Mabrouk El Mechri | Henry Cavill, Bruce Willis, Sigourney Weaver |
| 2012 | Safe House | Daniel Espinosa | Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Vera Farmiga |
| 2013 | Oculus | Mike Flanagan | Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites, Katee Sackhoff |
| 2013 | Crush | Malik Bader | Lucas Till, Sarah Bolger, Crystal Reed |
| 2016 | Before I Wake | Mike Flanagan | Kate Bosworth, Thomas Jane, Jacob Tremblay |
| 2016 | Hush | Mike Flanagan | Kate Siegel, John Gallagher Jr., Michael Trucco |
| 2016 | Ouija: Origin of Evil | Mike Flanagan | Elizabeth Reaser, Lulu Wilson, Annalise Basso |
| 2017 | The Bye Bye Man | Stacy Title | Douglas Smith, Lucien Laviscount, Cressida Bonas |
| 2017 | Gerald's Game | Mike Flanagan | Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Henry Thomas |
| 2019 | Eli | Ciarán Foy | Charlie Shotwell, Kelly Reilly, Max Martini |
| 2019 | Doctor Sleep | Mike Flanagan | Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran |
| 2024 | The Strangers: Chapter 1 | Renny Harlin | Madelaine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez, Gabriel Basso |
| 2024 | The Life of Chuck | Mike Flanagan | Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill, Chiwetel Ejiofor |
| 2025 | Shelby Oaks | Chris Stuckmann | Camille Sullivan, Sarah Durn, Michael Beach |