Full Breakdown
'Killa' Merges Horror with Girls' Basketball
6/27/2026, 1:03:00 AM
Film Overview
"Killa" is a horror-drama feature about Asa Jones, a Louisiana teen whose college-basketball scholarship hopes fade, drawing her into a mysterious force. The film marks writer-director Laci Dent’s feature debut. Shooting begins August, and the story hints at a captivating force threatening her aspirations.
Creative Team Background
Director Laci Dent, a New Orleans native and Pepperdine University screen-arts professor, earned acclaim for her short *Into the Night*, screened at MoMA. Producer Morgan Bentz leads production; executive producers are Kareem Mortimer, Trevite Willis, Julia Chatwin (Best Yet Entertainment), Ellen Schmitt and Maggie Flatley (Brickyard VFX Studio). Best Yet Entertainment won a Camera d’Or for the short *The President’s Cake* and Brickyard VFX provides visual effects.
Cast Profiles
Imani Lewis, known for Netflix’s *First Kill*, and Tanya Wright, noted for *Orange Is the New Black*, *True Blood* and *24*, headline the film. Lewis also co-wrote Tyla’s single “Water”. Lewis’s previous film work includes *Eighth Grade* and *The Forty-Year-Old Version*; Wright’s résumé includes *True Blood* and *24*.
Production Details
Principal photography begins August. Executive producers are Kareem Mortimer, Trevite Willis, Julia Chatwin, Ellen Schmitt, and Maggie Flatley.
Significance
The film blends a sports narrative with horror, expanding representation of female athletes in genre cinema and adding a director’s debut to the horror landscape. Laci Dent’s involvement adds a new directorial voice to contemporary horror.
Official Statements
The production describes the film as a horror-drama that follows a Louisiana basketball player whose scholarship hopes fade, leading her to a captivating force. Executive producers include Kareem Mortimer, Trevite Willis, Julia Chatwin, Ellen Schmitt, and Maggie Flatley, with Brickyard VFX Studio attached for visual effects.
Criticism & Opposition
No criticism or opposition has been reported.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources agree on cast and schedule but omit budget, distribution plans, and details of the “captivating force”. No direct comments from the director or cast are provided.
Verbatim Quotes
- “follows Asa Jones, a girl from Louisiana who wants to conquer the world of girls’ basketball. When Asa sees her shot at a college scholarship slipping away, she begins to lose herself to a captivating force.” — Dread Central article
- “EXCLUSIVE: Imani Lewis (First Kill) and Tanya Wright (Orange Is the New Black) have signed on to star in Killa, a horror-drama that will mark the feature filmmaking debut of writer-director Laci Dent.” — Deadline article
- “From New Orleans, Louisiana, Dent is both a filmmaker and a professor of screen arts at Pepperdine University.” — Deadline article
What's Next
Principal photography starts August; further details on release or distribution have not been announced.
