ABCs of Death (film series)

Background

The ABCs of Death series began with the 2012 release of an anthology film featuring twenty-six segments directed by what the studio described as 'the world's leading talents' in contemporary indie-filmmaking. Inspired by ABC educational children's books, each director was assigned a specific letter and given creative freedom to choose a word and develop a short exploring a death associated with that letter. The result included provocative, shocking, and comedic explorations of death, showcasing diversity within the modern horror genre. Fangoria described the product as 'a stunning roll call of some of the most exciting names in horror across the world.' Producer Ant Timpson later stated that the movie made significant income from video on demand, though financial figures were not revealed.

ABCs of Death 2 (2014)

Following the financial success of the first installment, ABCs of Death 2 was released in 2014, again featuring twenty-six segments with creative control given to each filmmaker. Though it received more critical praise than the first film, it suffered financially due to illegal pirating.

ABC's of Death 2½ (2016)

Timpson stated that the movie still made enough income through VOD to continue the series. In 2014, a spin-off titled ABC's of Death 2½ was released straight-to-consumer, compiling the top twenty-six submissions from 541 entries received for the second film's 'M' segment competition. Executive producers Ant Timpson and Tim League chose to release it through Vimeo for rental or purchase, splitting income with the platform.

Potential sequel

A potential third installment was teased at the end of ABCs of Death 2 with the statement 'ABCs of Death 3: Teach Harder, coming 2016.' However, by March 2015, Timpson noted that box office performance of the second film was dramatically affected by pirated viewings, and he and Tim League were reviewing financial figures before approaching Magnolia Pictures. In August 2015, they requested fan suggestions for directors and confirmed another amateur filmmaker contest. When 2½ was released, its introductory statement clarified that it 'is not the ABCs of Death 3,' indicating the third movie was still in development.

Did You Know?

• ABC's of Death 2½ was released straight-to-consumer via Vimeo, where it could be rented for $2.99 or purchased for $5.99.