When REC crept out of the shadows back in 2007, it reminded horror fans that found footage is a genre that, when executed correctly, can have you glued to the edge of your seat in anxious trepidation. Fast forward to the present day and after a pair of sequels, the fourth and final instalment of the blood-drenched Spanish franchise is almost upon us, and today we learned that Magnet has acquired the film — aptly titled REC 4: Apocalypse — for release in the United States.
In quietly pushing its left-field predecessor to one side, the fourth entry will pick up right where REC 2 left off, and sees our protagonist — played again by Manuela Velasco — shipped off into the bowels of a giant ship out on the high seas which is, essentially, one of the last remaining havens from the deadly virus.
Directed by series stalwart Jaume Balagueró, REC 4: Apocalypse will look to send the series off on a high note following the mixed reception of the third film. And given that Balagueró co-directed the first two horrifying films, you can colour us intrigued to see how his swan song will be received come next year.
REC 4: Apocalypse will scurry into select theaters on January 2nd, 2015, when it will also become available across iTunes and On Demand.
“[REC]4 picks up a few hours after the gruesome events of [REC]2, where an elite squad of soldiers has infiltrated an apartment complex teeming with the victims of a demonic possession virus that has transformed them into vicious killers, in an attempt to extract a young reporter, Angela Vidal (Manuela Velasco). Angela wakes up in a high-security quarantine facility located deep in the bowels of a giant ocean freighter. But her ordeal isn’t over, as the terrifying virus has made it on board with her, taking the series to a spectacular and bloody finish on the high seas.”
