Dark Slope and No Equal Entertainment Announce Multi-Project Development Partnership Ahead of TIFF

Dark Slope and No Equal Entertainment have entered a strategic development partnership to co-create a slate of film and television projects that fuse inventive narratives with cutting-edge virtual production. The collaboration draws on the studios’ collective storytelling and technical strengths, with three active visually ambitious projects already underway.

The partnership will be spotlighted at Ontario Creates’ International Financing Forum during TIFF 2025 on September 7th and 8th, 2025, where No Equal Entertainment and Dark Slope will pitch The Gum Thief. Adapted for the screen by acclaimed author Douglas Coupland from his bestselling novel, the feature film will be directed by No Equal’s J.B. Sugar. The Gum Thief follows Roger, a dispirited middle-aged aspiring novelist, and Bethany, a disillusioned goth clerk, whose unlikely friendship develops while working together at a big-box store and takes a surprising turn when Bethany discovers she’s a character in his novel, unlocking a witty and poignant meta-narrative.

Also in development is Waking Wonderland, a one-hour premium drama series, reimagining Lewis Carroll’s classic Wonderland through a darker, more mature lens. Acclaimed writing/producing duo Tina Hastings (Smilla’s Sense of Snow, Fallen) and Matt Hastings (Handmaid's Tale, Circuit Breakers, Fallen) are attached to develop this project. 

Additionally, Snakes and Lattes (working title) is a genre-bending comedy-adventure series about a date gone wrong at a games café that spirals into a fantastical Jumanji-style journey. The project, created by acclaimed actors-turned-writers Kat Barrell ( Wynona Earp, Working Moms) and Natalie Lisinska (The Lake, Orphan Black), leans heavily into Dark Slope’s advanced virtual production capabilities to bring its immersive game worlds to life. These projects are currently in early development each with support from the Bell Fund’s Slate Development Program.

With over 300 episodes and multiple award-nominated projects to its name, No Equal Entertainment brings decades of production expertise and a strong foundation in genre and character-led storytelling.

“Dark Slope’s toolkit empowers traditional storytellers to level up,” says J.B. Sugar, Founder of No Equal Entertainment. “Their ability to accomplish things that would have been unachievable just a few years ago and their commitment to helping to work with indie film budgets has opened up an entirely new creative canvas. Even in non-effects-driven stories, virtual production unlocks new efficiencies and visual language. I’m excited to align with a tech-forward partner that’s equally passionate about IP and innovation.” 

“J.B. Sugar is a creative, innovative and versatile filmmaker in a class all of his own." says Dan Fill, President of Dark Slope. “By pairing No Equal Entertainment’s strength in story and performance-led content with our technical leadership in virtual production, we will deliver programming that challenges convention.”

By uniting craft, technology, and original IP, the partnership is positioned to deliver bold, visually dynamic stories built for today’s evolving entertainment landscape.

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