Well Go USA has acquired all North American rights to Better Watch Out, a holiday horror pic directed by Chris Peckover with a cast led by Olivia DeJonge, Levi Miller, Virginia Madsen, Patrick Warburton and Ed Oxenbould. Well Go is scaring up plans for an October 6 theatrical and digital release.

Penned by Peckover and Zack Kahn, the pic (formerly known as Safe Neighborhood) centers stars DeJonge as a babysitter who, one snowy night on a quiet suburban street, must defend her 12-year-old charge (Miller) from intruders. But she quickly learns that this is one extraordinary home invasion that demands an equally extraordinary response. Aleks Mikic and Dacre Montgomery also star.

In the release announcing the deal producers Brett Thornquest and Brion Hambel called their pic “a crowd-pleasing, high-octane horror-thriller companion to Home Alone, Gremlins and Die Hard.”

Thornquest and Sidonie Abbene of Storm Vision Entertainment produced with Hambel and Paul Jensen of Best Medicine Productions. XYZ Films handled domestic sales. Pfardrescher negotiated the deal on behalf of Well Go and Nate Bolotin at XYZ Films on behalf of the filmmakers.

•• Cory Michael Smith, Designated Survivor‘s Virginia Madsen, Michael Chiklis (Gotham, FX’s The Shield) have been tapped to co- star in AIDS drama film 1985, along with Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp and Jamie Chung (The Hangover Part II, Big Hero 6).

Pit Stop helm Yen Tan is directing from his own script, which is based on his SXSW Special Jury Prize winning short. It center on terminally-ill Adrian (Smith), who flies home from New York to visit his estranged family in Texas. His attempt at revealing his circumstances to his conservative parents (Madsen, Chiklis) are challenged when he reconnects with his preteen brother (Schnapp) and his old flame (Chung).

Emmy winner Ash Christian is producing for Cranium Entertainment along with HutcH for MuseLessMime Productions, with filming slated to take place in Dallas next month. Nancy Schafer, Monte Zajicek and Stacey Davis are executive producers alongside Jeff Elliott and Chad Moore, who will also co-finance and handle sales through their Green-Light International banner.

•• As the White House gears up for President Kirkman’s first international summit, Kimble Hookstraten faces her toughest political battle yet when her speakership is challenged. Meanwhile, Alex wrestles with whether or not to bring the kids back to Washington.