Hudson Williams, Dylan OBrien Star in Apparatus

Hudson Williams and Dylan O'Brien will star in the upcoming darkly comedic thriller "Apparatus," marking the feature directorial debut of Canadian filmmaker Sofia Banzhaf.

The film, written by Banzhaf and Grayson Moore, centers on Tyler, a struggling rideshare driver played by Williams, who encounters JP, a charismatic entrepreneur portrayed by O'Brien. JP draws Tyler into what seems like a promising investment opportunity in a handheld massager business. However, the arrangement quickly unravels, pulling Tyler into a violent downward spiral that tests his limits.

Production is set to begin soon in the Toronto area, with Julie Baldassi of Younger Daughter Films and Daniel Bekerman of Scythia Films among the producers, alongside Banzhaf, Moore, and Brian Robertson. Financing comes from Ursa Major Films, Gabardine, Telefilm Canada, and Mongrel Media, with WME Independent and CAA Media Finance handling international sales.

Williams, a 25-year-old actor from Vancouver, British Columbia, gained widespread recognition for his lead role as Shane Hollander in the Crave and HBO series "Heated Rivalry," a queer hockey romance that became an international hit. The show, which follows rival...