18 Year-Old Filmmaker Finishes Horror Fantasy, King Ripple

The rise of digital filmmaking has likely directly contributed to the dip in age of widely exposed filmmakers. It’s likely many of us were shooting DIY horror as kids, but not to the effect and level we’ve seen from Emily Hagins, Emily DiPrimio, Kansas Bowling or Luke Jaden. The latter, an eighteen years-old actor, has now completed his second feature as director and fourth filmed work overall, King Ripple.

King Ripple takes the form of a post-apocalyptic horror fantasy in which Jaden also acts. The story follows “four teenagers as they travel through a desolate and decrepit urban wasteland brought forth by the very being they wish to find: King Ripple himself.” Keith Stanfield, currently onscreen in Ava DuVernay’s tremendous Selma, stars as the titular being alongside Callaghan Belle, Allie DeBerry and Torrey Wigfield. The script was penned by Bird Box author Josh Malerman.

Find a host of photos from King Ripple below. The film, produced by Troika, Friel Films and Mother and Midwife Pictures, is expected later this year.