Boy Kills World is an ultra-violent action film starring Bill Skarsgård (John Wick: Chapter 4, It), who seeks vengeance against the Van Der Koy family for the murder of his family. It marks the feature debut of director Moritz Mohr, and it’s a love letter to martial arts films, action films and video games.

The film features a stacked cast including Famke Janssen (X-Men), Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day), Sharlto Copley (District 9), Brett Gelman (Stranger Things Series), Isaiah Mustafa (It Chapter Two), Andrew Koji (Warrior, Bullet Train) and Yayan Ruhian (The Raid, The Raid 2).

Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, Evil Dead) is a producer behind the film, and the project was brought to his attention by fellow producer Roy Lee (The Ring, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire). With a short film in hand, it didn’t take much for Mohr to sell him the idea of the feature-length version.

“Well, [Moritz] didn’t have to sell it,” Raimi tells Nerd Reactor. “To me, his work sold itself when I saw his trailer. I really thought I was watching the work of a visionary director. And it was really funny and had great action scenes. And I thought, ‘I want to see this. Yes, I’m going to produce that movie with you, Roy Lee, who brought the trailer to me.’ And I loved meeting Moritz. He was a gentleman and so intelligent and collaborative that it all worked out very well.”

Moritz was very excited to hear about Raimi taking a look at the project, shouting, “Oh, my God. Yes, please!” After Sam watched the trailer, the director received an email a couple of hours later.

“[Sam] flipped, and that was an amazing moment,” Mohr said. “And I think we met like four days later and it’s all been amazing.”

Janssen plays the antagonist Hilda Van Der Koy, and although she isn’t a fan of the bloody elements in the film, it’s the story, cast and vision that captivated her.

“It’s a wonderful cast,” said Janssen. “It’s a crazy, diabolical story. It’s something that I think is exciting and new and different. And I think anytime you do something, and it’s inventive, it’s funny, and it’s original, then flying, like throw the blood and the gore for people who can handle it. I can’t stomach it, But for those – do it – but at least don’t do it in a gratuitous, simplistic way, then I’m really just not down with any of it. But I think this has a real creative, interesting vision behind it.”

Jessica Rothe portrays June 27, a mysterious fighter with a helmet that displays words on the visor.

“I agree,” Rothe added. “And the moment that I saw the short that Mohr has made that came kind of with the script when it was submitted – when I saw text flash across that motorcycle helmet, I was like, ‘I’m in. I don’t care whatever I have to do to get in this film, sign me up!’ Because it was just so clever and funny and turned so many expectations on its head. And it was such a joy and a delight to jump in and consistently be surprised by the world.”

About Boy Kills World

The film stars Bill Skarsgård, Jessica Rothe, Michelle Dockery, Brett Gelman, Isaiah Mustafa, Yayan Ruhian, with Andrew Koji, Sharlto Copley and Famke Janssen. The voice of “Boy” is narrated by H. Jon Benjamin.

Synopsis: Skarsgård stars as “Boy” who vows revenge after his family is murdered by Hilda Van Der Koy (Janssen), the deranged matriarch of a corrupt post-apocalyptic dynasty that left the boy orphaned, deaf and voiceless. Driven by his inner voice, one which he co-opted from his favorite childhood video game, Boy trains with a mysterious shaman (Ruhian) to become an instrument of death and is set loose on the eve of the annual culling of dissidents. Bedlam ensues as Boy commits bloody martial arts mayhem, inciting a wrath of carnage and blood-letting. As he tries to get his bearings in this delirious realm, Boy soon falls in with a desperate resistance group, all the while bickering with the apparent ghost of his rebellious little sister.

Boy Kills World hits theaters nationwide on April 26, 2024.