Birk Gran ‘22 produced the upcoming horror film “Dead Whisper.” The film follows Elliot Campbell, played by Samuel Dunning, a lawyer drawn to a mysterious island where he has the chance to reunite with his dead daughter, but only at the expense of his soul. Gran spoke about his journey as a producer of the film, which began during his last semester at Emerson.
“Dead Whisper” marks Conor Soucy’s directorial debut and Gran’s producing debut. The film also features an original score by Nikhil Koparkar recorded and performed by Fames Orchestra in Macedonia.
“Dead Whisper” began as a short film that Gran and his team shot in November 2022, but ultimately ended up being expanded into a full feature.
“We had a huge story here that I think we wanted to explore more and I think the director did too,” Gran said.
Gran was initially drawn to the project because Soucy was a close friend he had met while working on other films.
“Connor is kind of like another brother at this point, I’ve worked with him for so long,” Gran said. “The thing creatively that’s interesting is we’re both screenwriters, so we both look at the story through that lens as well.”
The close bond between the producer and director was not the only familial connection on the set of the film. Gran owns Brothers Gran Productions, the production company behind “Dead Whisper,” with his brother, Johan, and his father plays “The Historian” in the film.
“It’s a film that takes place in Massachusetts, and that was huge for me, having gone to Emerson,” Gran said. “I think people will want to watch it for not only the story but for where we’re setting the film. We shot a lot in Cape Cod, which is just beautiful. We shot outside Boston as well… I think for people who love that scenic aspect, this is great.”
Gran enlisted Emerson students to take part in the production as PAs and other film crew positions. He shared how passionate he is about helping other Emersionians in their film and production careers.
“The Emerson Mafia is real!” he said.
Back when he was a freshman, Gran earned the EVVY Award for Best Director and a nomination for Best Editing for another film that he also wrote and produced.
“As far as my career goes, it’s huge for me to graduate Emerson and to have a feature film that I produced,” Gran said.
While finishing up his work on “Dead Whisper,” Gran is working towards a master’s degree in screenwriting at the London Film School. He expressed his desire to break into the European film market, and to study in a large city such as London.
Gran further shared that “Dead Whisper” appeals to audiences who love classic horror movies that don’t completely rely on blood and gore to achieve the scare factor.
“This is not up in your face bloody gory…this is sort of a tip of the hat to ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ or ‘The Shining,’ sort of bringing back that timelessness that we loved about those old horror films,” Gran said.
“Dead Whisper” will open in select theaters nationwide beginning July 5 and be available on-demand on July 9. For Massachusetts movie-goers, “Dead Whisper” will play at Cinema Salem on July 10 at 8 p.m. and at the Loring Hall Cinema on July 11 and 12. More screenings can be found on their website.
