Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat boards Don’t F**k with Ghosts

From Playback, November 5, 2024 - written by Jamie Casemore

Kevin Hart’s Los Angeles-based mediaco Hartbeat has boarded Stu Stone’s Don’t F**k with Ghosts as an executive producer and global distributor, excluding Canada.

Don’t F**k with Ghosts is written by Toronto-based 5’7 Films co-founders and brothers-in-law Stone (pictured left) and Adam Rodness. The film is an indirect sequel to their 2020 film Faking a Murderer, also directed by Stone. Rodness serves as a producer on both films.

In both films, Stone and Rodness play fictional versions of themselves filming a documentary. Faking a Murderer followed the duo hunting after someone who they believe is a serial killer. For Don’t F**k with Ghosts, the pair travel to Winnipeg in order to jump on the paranormal craze and determine whether ghosts are real.

“I think what we’ve done with our storytelling is unique,” Rodness tells Playback Daily. “We mix a larger group of real people and we sprinkle on about five or six actors. What you’re seeing is the authentic reactions to a fictional story.”

5’7 Films was introduced to Kevin Healey (Scare Tactics), an executive producer at Hartbeat, two years ago when a lawyer and producer with a connection to Healey, Eric Birnberg, sent him Faking a Murderer.

“Eric was doing a couple of deals for me and he saw the film and said ‘One of my clients would really love to see this work,'” says Rodness. “[Healey] fell in love with it.”

Rodness says he and Stone met Healey over Zoom and eventually flew down to L.A. to visit Hartbeat’s offices. 5’7 Films pitched them a series that, because of the strikes in the U.S. in 2023, became the film Don’t F**k with Ghosts. About a year later, a deal was finalized that had Hartbeat board as executive producer.

Don’t F**k with Ghosts is a coproduction between 5’7 Films and Winnipeg-based Farpoint Films in association with Toronto-based Farmhouse Productions. It is distributed in Canada by Toronto-based levelFILM and had a Canadian theatrical release in early October, and was released on VOD on Prime Video in the U.S. on Oct. 29.

The feature was filmed in 2023 through October and November in Winnipeg, Toronto and Selkirk, Man. Executive producers on the film include Farpoint’s Kyle Bornais, as well as Ira Levy, Ryan Kimel and Farmhouse’s Kent Sobey. Healey executive produces for Hartbeat.

“[5’7 Films’] creative vision and fearless approach to storytelling align seamlessly with Hartbeat’s mission to deliver unique and engaging content,” said Healey in a statement to Playback.

Don’t F**k with Ghosts has also been released on VOD platforms in Canada such as Apple TV and YouTube Movies and will premiere on Hollywood Suite in January, according to Rodness. The film is the first in a previously announced multi-picture slate deal with Hollywood Suite.

A third movie in the series is also being developed which will see the pair try to prove to the world that Bigfoot exists. The film already has a licensing deal from Hollywood Suite with production beginning next spring.

Rodness says that the hope for this series of films is to eventually shift into long-form television.

“So long as people want to see more, we’ll be able to deliver,” says Rodness.