Magenta Edge Films, the new specialty label from Bob Yari’s Magenta Lights Studios, has picked up Sabrina Greco’s dark comedy Lockjaw.

Greco’s first feature about life with your mouth wired shut bowed at Slamdance last year and is set to hit theaters from Aug. 8, before a VOD and digital release on Sept. 8.

“Magenta Edge Films moved quickly to bring Lockjaw into its early slate following its festival run. The film heralds a bold and witty voice in independent cinema that immediately stood out to us. The film is genuinely funny, with a sharp comedic voice and a confidence that marks a strong feature debut from Sabrina Greco. Supporting filmmakers and their creative voices is at the core of Magenta Edge, and we are excited to champion Sabrina and help bring her film to audiences.” Bill Vergos, head of digital film distribution at Magenta Light Studios and Magenta Edge Films, said in a statement.

Lockjaw stars Blu Hunt as Rayna, Colin Burgess as Mitch, her new boyfriend, Kevin Grossman as Noah, Nick Corirossi as the magician Robert, Ally Davis as artist Cleo, Sally Sum as Annabelle and Lena Redford as Genevieve. “Six weeks after a drunk-driving accident that left her jaw wired shut, Rayna tries to have a fun night out with her friends. Over the course of a wild night, she strains existing relationships and makes new enemies,” a synopsis from the film’s producers states.

Greco added in her own statement: “I wanted to capture the feeling of being trapped in a mental spiral you can’t escape. The wired jaw became an inspired device, limiting speech but not expression, allowing for a bold performance in a heightened, playful world. Made in just 11 days with a small, passionate team, the film reflects the grit of microbudget filmmaking. Partnering with Magenta Edge gives films like ours a real opportunity to be seen, and I’m thrilled for this next chapter.”

Greco wrote and directed the offbeat comedy, with Abbie Jones producing and Miranda Kahn, Josh Jason, Ryan Kampe, Molly Gilula, Video Expert and Riccardo Maddalosso sharing executive producer credits. Yari earned a best picture Oscar in 2006 for Crash, and his other film credits include The Illusionist, Possession and Resurrecting the Champ, while also directing Papa: Hemingway in Cuba.

His Magenta Light banner has recent releases like  Bride Hard, Strange Darling and Protector, and also picked up James McAvoy‘s feature directorial debut, California Schemin’. In early 2026, Yari unveiled his specialty offshoot Magenta Edge to acquire and release indie films on theatrical and ancillary platforms.

The distribution deal for Lockjaw was negotiated by Bill Vergos and C.J. Vranca for Magenta Edge Films, with Ryan Kampe of Visit Films representing the filmmakers.

Mahershala Ali won’t be Marvel‘s Blade.

The two-time Oscar winner confirmed to GQ his reboot of the iconic vampire slayer isn’t moving forward, and he made it clear he thinks that Marvel dropped the ball.

“I’ve been doing this professionally for pushing 30 years now, and one thing I’ve learned is that what is for you is for you and what is not is not,” Ali said in the new interview. “For whatever reason, that project is not for me. If they wanted to do it, we would’ve done it. So I have to move on … Again, you had me under contract, they have billions of dollars, if they wanted to do the movie, we would’ve done the movie. So we’re not doing the movie … But I feel ready to move on from the Blade questions. Those questions are for them. They didn’t want to do it, so they should answer that question.”

The comments follow Marvel’s boss Kevin Feige telling the Happy Sad Confused podcast that he was distressed about the company’s inability to get the project going.

“I am feeling like a gigantic loser and failure that we didn’t get off the ground with Mahershala,” the executive said.

Marvel originally announced a Blade movie starring Ali in 2019. The company brought aboard Bassam Tariq to direct, but he left the film in 2022, just two months before the project was to begin shooting. Ali and Tariq have now re-teamed for a different project, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.

Tariq tells GQ that Ali actually did training as Blade during pre-production.

“Mahershala is an athlete, and I saw the way he uses a sword on Blade,” the director said. “The first time he was doing sword practice on Blade, the stuff coming back was incredible

“As a former athlete, I’ve dreamed of doing my own stunts,” Ali added. “I was very excited to do stunts in Blade and trained for a long time for that, so it was a huge relief to get to put that work to use [in Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother] … When I look at this and Blade, I couldn’t have done both, and the reason this even exists is because that project fell apart and Bassam had the time, space, energy, and focus to go and write this and then re-approach me. And I was able to use those skills that I had been working on for over a year training for Blade. In that way, I feel creatively redeemed on some level.”

Ali previously won best supporting actor Oscars for Moonlight (2016) and Green Book (2018).

Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is an upcoming Amazon MGM Studios action film. The premise: “Following the death of his wife, a devoutly religious hitman (Ali) embarks on a desperate journey across Houston to protect his children, confronting the forces closing in around him – and the beliefs threatening to unravel within.” The film will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.