Cinedigm Acquires CIA Thriller ‘MK Ultra’ Starring Anson Mount, Jaime Ray Newman And Jason Patric

EXCLUSIVE: Cinedigm has acquired North American rights to the CIA thriller MK Ultra, starring Anson Mount (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), Jaime Ray Newman (Dopesick) and Jason Patric (Lost Boys), scheduling it for release in theaters and on VOD this fall.

The film is inspired by the true story of the illegal drug experimentation program, Project MKUltra, which the CIA established during the early 1960s, as a means of developing procedures and identifying drugs like LSD, which could be used to weaken individuals in interrogations, forcing confessions through brainwashing and psychological torture. It follows the brilliant psychiatrist Ford Strauss (Mount), who finds his professional and ethical boundaries tested as he is recruited to run a subsect of the program at a rural Mississippi mental hospital.

MK Ultra was written and directed by Ex-Intelligence Officer Joseph Sorrentino, and also stars Alon Aboutboul (Snowfall) and Jen Richards (Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches). Sorrentino, Jerry Tankersley, the late Seth Willenson, Andreas Schilling, Brian Mercer, and Lee Broda of LB Entertainment produced, with Tom Rooker and Sigurjon Sighvatsson serving as executive producers.

“Joseph Sorrentino has crafted a sleek psychological thriller based on a covert CIA operation that leaves you on the edge of your seat through the very end,” said CInedigm’s Chief Content Officer and Head of Digital Sales, Yolanda Macias. “Anson Mount gives an incredible performance as he’s forced to reconcile with whether scientific advancement is worth at any cost.”

“Previously coming from an Intelligence Operations background, telling this untold story about the darkest days of the intelligence community was always an important dream project for my debut feature,” said Sorrentino. “The cast and crew, from Anson Mount to the incredible Jen Richards, brought this beautiful drug filled vision to life beyond my wildest dreams, and we couldn’t be happier in finding a partner in Cinedigm to bring this thrilling film to audiences in theaters this fall.”

Added the writer-director: “You may have heard of the CIA’s Project MK Ultra, but now you’ll be able to glimpse into the shadows and see it. This film is a hell of a ride.”

Josh Thomashow negotiated the deal for MK Ultra on behalf of Cinedigm, with Willenson & Kevin Kasha on behalf of Tenpastnine, LLC.