Horror-comedy features all-star cast, surreal story line

CHARLOTTE—The North Carolina filmed horror-comedy, Tusk, hits theatres nationwide this Friday, September 19.

Filmed primarily in Gaston and Mecklenburg counties, the feature written and directed by Kevin Smith (Clerks, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) stars Justin Long (Accepted, Jeepers Creepers, Drag Me To Hell, Dodgeball), Michael Parks (Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2, Django Unchained), Oscar-nominee Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Pay It Forward) and Genesis Rodriguez (Identity Thief, Man on a Ledge).

In the film, Long stars as a podcaster Wallace Bryton, who braves the Canadian wilds to interview an old man with an incredible past (Parks)-only to discover the man's dark secret involves a walrus.

Tusk premiered earlier this month at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival with exciting reviews.

The feature was produced by Demarest Films and is being distributed by A24. Production on Tusk took place over the course of over 50 days in late 2013. Audits conducted by the state’s Department of Revenue show that the feature film had a direct in-state spend of more than $2 million while creating more than of 145 job opportunities.

Tusk was one of more than 60 productions who registered with the North Carolina Film Office in 2013 that resulted in having an economic impact in excess of $243 million while creating more than 4,000 well-paying job crew positions for the state’s highly skilled film professionals and nearly 25,000 total job opportunities over the course of a record-high 5,700+ production days that year. In addition to Tusk, highlights from 2013 included filming on the feature films Tammy, The World Made Straight, Grass Stains and The Squeeze, the television series Under The Dome, Sleepy Hollow, Banshee, Homeland and Eastbound and Down, and the made for television movies Christmas In Conway, Norman Rockwell’s Shuffleton’s Barbershop and The Perfect Summer as well as national commercials for Mountain Dew, ESPN, Planters, Audi and Fiat.

Watch the trailer for Tusk below: