BURBANK, CA - Anchor Bay Entertainment has acquired the North American theatrical and DVD distribution rights to The Alphabet Killer, the eagerly anticipated thriller from director Rob Schmidt (Wrong Turn, “Masters of Horror: Right To Die”) and featuring an all-star cast including Eliza Dushku (Bring It On, Wrong Turn), Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride, Saw), and Oscar-winner Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People, Sunshine State.) Written by Tom Malloy (The Attic), who also co-stars, The Alphabet Killer is a gripping psychological thriller loosely based on the still-unsolved “double initial” murders that shocked the citizens of Rochester, New York in the early 1970s.

Exclusive theatrical engagements in Los Angeles, New York and Rochester, NY - the city that inspired the film - in early November are planned, with a subsequent DVD release for January 2009. In addition, the DVD promises extensive bonus features, including audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes footage, cast & crew interviews and more.

From 1970 to 1973, three girls in and around Rochester, New York were brutally raped and strangled, their bodies dumped in neighboring villages that bore the same first initial as their names. All three victims’ - young girls, aged 10 to 12 — first and last names also had matching initials. Despite questioning more than 800 suspects and the combined police resources of several communities, the case remains unsolved to this day.

In the film, Dushku plays Megan Paige, a Rochester, NY police investigator whose commitment to the job borders on obsession. Megan and her partner Lt. Kenneth Shine (Cary Elwes) are assigned to investigate the brutal murder of a young girl named Carla Castillo, whose body is found in the nearby town of Churchville. Despite Megan’s considerable efforts, her inability to catch the killer leads to a nervous breakdown, eventually causing her to lose her fiancée, her law-enforcement career - and her grip on reality.

Two years later, Megan is back at the police department, albeit in a demoted position. With the help of a mental illness support group headed by Richard Ledge (Timothy Hutton), Megan is slowly getting her life back on track. But when two more young girls are murdered with the “alphabet” m.o., Megan is convinced the same serial killer has resurfaced. Fighting hallucinations of the dead girls - as well as distrust from her colleagues - Megan is back on the case, determined to bring the culprit to justice. With few leads, no suspects and a serial killer on the loose, can she catch the “Alphabet Killer” before another victim is found?

The stellar supporting cast includes Michael Ironside (Total Recall, Top Gun, 2009’s Terminator: Salvation), Melissa Leo (Frozen River, Righteous Kill), Carl Lumbly (Men of Honor, “Alias”), Jack McGee (21, Crash, L.A. Confidential) , Larry Hankin (Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Home Alone) and Tom Noonan (Last Action Hero, Manhunter, The Monster Squad).

The deal was negotiated on behalf of the producers Tom Malloy (Love N’ Dancing), Russ Terlecki (Killer Movie), Isen Robbins (XX/XY), and Aimee Schoof (Brother to Brother) by Cassian Elwes of William Morris and Producer’s attorney Robert L. Seigel. New Films International is handling foreign.

New Films International and Greg Polisseni present an Intrinsic Value Films and Wideye Films Production. Associate Producers are Eliza Dushku, Ashley Holloway, and Straw Weisman. Greg Polisseni executive produced. Lusi & Izak Filiba, Mark Clark, Ron Gell and Brandon Baker; Nesim Hasson and Sezin Hasson are Executive Producers.