EXCLUSIVE: WME has signed Adrian Chiarella, the Australian filmmaker whose conversion therapy horror film Leviticus sold out of Sundance for mid-seven-figures, in the first deal of the 2026 festival.
Produced by Causeway Films, the team behind Talk to Me, Bring Her Back and The Babadook, Leviticus follows two teenage boys who must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most — each other. The film, written and directed by Chiarella, will get a wide release in theaters this summer.
Chiarella previously made his television directing debut on Stan and Sundance Now’s Totally Completely Fine before going on to direct episodes of Paramount+’s Five Bedrooms. In 2025, he won an AWGIE Award from the Australian Writers’ Guild for “Walking Gambit,” his episode of the SBS anthology series Erotic Stories, which earned an AACTA nomination for Best Drama Series.
A graduate of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, Chiarella has also previously directed three acclaimed short films, which screened at major international festivals including Clermont-Ferrand, Palm Springs ShortFest, and Sydney Film Festival.
WME will rep Chiarella in all areas. The filmmaker continues to be represented by Cameron’s Management.
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