Copyright Variety
Playboy and Hefner Capital are partnering on “Dead After Dark,” a Cold War-era horror-thriller set inside the iconic Playboy Club in Miami. The film will be produced by Cooper Hefner, managing partner of Hefner Capital and former chief creative officer and chief of global partnerships at Playboy Enterprises. Hefner is the son of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. Additional production and creative partners will be announced at a later date. While no cast has been announced, a source close to the production says that actors who top the wishlist for roles include Scarlett Hefner (“The Vampire Diaries”), as well as Lukas Gage and Patrick Schwarzenegger of “White Lotus” fame. As the feature is in early development, things could shift. “This creative partnership reflects Playboy’s commitment to introduce and build out our story-driven content strategy,” said Ben Kohn, CEO of Playboy. “’Dead After Dark’ is another step in a broader company effort to develop a connected Playboy entertainment universe, one that draws from the brand’s vast archives, global influence, and consumer appetite for new IP. We’re excited to see how this first film resonates with audiences and to continue collaborating with great partners to develop additional stories across film, television, and emerging platforms.” “’Dead After Dark’ is a love letter to both classic genre cinema and Playboy’s legacy as a storytelling platform,” said Cooper Hefner. “Our goal is to create something that’s not only entertaining and emotionally resonant, but also true to the imagination and cultural curiosity that have defined Playboy for more than seventy years. We’re excited to deliver something completely original for Playboy fans that still feels unmistakably familiar.”
