A Film by Micah Groenevelt

STARFISH

Would you clone a loved one?

01 — The Film

What would you do
for a second chance?

Logline

Starfish follows a scientist who uses cloning and memory research to resurrect his wife after a tragic accident. When the memory integration seemingly fails, he is forced into the role of ‘father’ as he raises the clone of his dead wife as his daughter.

STARFISH is a prestige science fiction thriller that dives into what it means to reframe love, search for identity, and chase for a second chance.

Human CloningAI Memory StorageSecond ChancesParentingIdentityMoral Strength

Genre

Sci-Fi

Format

2.39 : 1

Director

Micah Groenevelt

Status

Coming 2027

He loses his wife.

He clones her.

He raises the clone as his daughter.

Eighteen years later...

She begins remembering.

What happens when your daughter starts remembering being your wife?

What do all these sci-fis have in common?

2014Ex Machina

2013Her

2016Arrival

2004Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

2011Black Mirror

2022Severance

None of them became successful because of the technology.

They became successful because everyone walked out arguing.

Everyone asks themselves

Who am I?

We ask

What if your memories belonged to someone else?

We've stumbled onto a premise that people will debate for hours.

At a Glance

Prestige Science Fiction$2M BudgetDistribution SecuredDe-Risked Through State Tax IncentivesInternational Pre-Sales StrategyCommercially Proven Genre$100K+ CrowdfundedScientific AuthenticityProven Production Team

What People Are Saying

“

You're in a really unique position where you can really bring something that is going to be a classic.
Carla Cox
Starfish Investor

“

It's so intriguing because it's sci-fi meets contemporary in a realistic way and the premise is so wild!
Mark Bazil
Starfish Investor

“

You've got something here that's a genuinely original sci-fi and not only that but you've proven the ability to execute it.
Lauren Herrel
Starfish Casting Director

“

Here are two people that are really thoughtful storytellers, but also incredibly strategic which is something that I have found is rare in this business.
Harmon Kaslow
Atlas Distribution

02 — Film Comparables

2025

Companion

Rated: R
Runtime: 97 min
Budget: $10M
Box Office: $36.7M
Distribution: Warner Bros.
Cast: Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage

2014

Ex Machina

Rated: R
Runtime: 108 min
Budget: $15M
Box Office: $37.4M
Distribution: A24 / Universal
Cast: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac

2017

Call Me By Your Name

Rated: R
Runtime: 132 min
Budget: $3.5M
Box Office: $43.1M
Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg

03 — The Story

A story in three chapters

Chapter 01

The Relationship

Meet Jonah & Marie
Learn about their research
Meet supporting characters
Marie dies tragically
Jonah is pressured to carry out the experiment to clone his wife
Jonah successfully clones Marie

Chapter 02

Childhood

9 years later. The clone, M, is healthy and happy
The memory integration seems to have failed
Jonah has taken on the newfound responsibility of a father figure
Banko tries to claim M as property to push the experiments farther
Jonah scrambles to legitimize M's existence
Supporting characters begin to learn the truth about M's origin

Hands on a typewriter — M continuing Marie's research

Chapter 03

"M" for Marie

We meet M on her 18th birthday
M has picked up Marie's research where she left off
M begins to have memories that don't belong to her
Supporting characters begin to question Jonah's moral decisions in making M
M confronts Jonah
M is torn between her own upbringing, Marie's memories, and the discovery of this revolutionary technology

04 — The Characters

Click a character to pin their bio

Hover or click a character

05 — A Scene From The Film

TENKARA

With starkly limited resources, we produced this scene on time and under budget. In addition to working with Scott Takeda — a six-time Emmy Award winning producer and actor — we were invited to premiere this film at two separate local festivals without prior submission for entry.

Jonah and Marie meet with their prospective investor for funding for their controversial research.

Behind the Scenes

06 — Tone & Feel

Visual Language

A curated look book and original score that define the film's visual and emotional world.

Look Book

1 / 74

Original Theme

STARFISH — Main Theme

Composed by Jeffrey Carabelos. The original theme piece written for the film.

Music by Jeffrey Carabelos

Light breaking through storm clouds over the ocean

07 — Our Vision

Earned Catharsis

We are entering an era where artificial intelligence, digital identity, memory preservation, and biotechnology are rapidly blurring the boundaries of what it means to be human.

As these technologies move from science fiction into everyday life, the questions they raise become increasingly personal. Starfish is our answer to some of these questions. In an era where sci-fi often paints a bleak future, we are deeply committed to resurrecting that spark of hope. Jeff and I long for the storytelling of the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s: narratives that dared to face difficult truths yet found a way to earn redemption.

With STARFISH, we embrace the heavier and more controversial questions, the ones that can unsettle, because we believe confronting them is what allows us to genuinely redeem them. We're not just telling a story; we're offering a vision of a future where science, identity, and second chances hold not just weight, but light.

"This is our passion: to remind audiences that even in the hardest stories, there is room for redemption and optimism."

08 — The Team

Micah Groenevelt
Director / Writer / Producer
Direction
Jeffrey Carabelos
Producer / Composer / Writer
Production
Lauren Herrel
Casting Director / Producer
Casting
Elena Henry
Associate Producer / Production Manager
Production
Troy Pierce
Editor
Post-Production
Katerina Gerlach
Assistant Director
Direction
Harmon Kaslow
Distribution & Strategy
Distribution

Click a name to pin their bio

Hover or click a name

09 — The Budget

$2,000,000

Total Production Budget — Select a category to explore details

Budget allocation

Allocation

7.5%

Amount

$150,000

Producer's Unit

The Producers Unit covers the core producing team, including Micah Groenevelt and Jeffrey Carabelos, while allowing us to secure a reputable producing partner. This ensures both credibility and experience, helping us navigate the project's complexities and ensuring we bring in the right people and resources from start to finish.

Total Production Budget$2,000,000

10 — Cast & Attachments

The Ensemble

Our casting strategy balances attainability, role excitement, ensemble chemistry, and international market appeal — key factors in a genre film built for global theatrical release.

Character

Jonah

Crossover Media

Troy Baker

The Last of Us Part I & II (Video Game)
Uncharted 4 — Sam Drake

Breakout crossover star from gaming into prestige television. Strong US fanbase with global gaming audience.

Character

Marie / M

Rising Star

Hadley Robinson

Moxie
Little Women (2019)
Winning Time
Mountainhead

On the cusp of A-list. Playing dual roles as Marie and her clone makes this a landmark performance opportunity.

Character

Banko Yoshimura

International

Ken Watanabe

The Last Samurai
Batman Begins — Ra's al Ghul
Inception — Saito

Global marquee name with massive reach across Asian and Western markets. Gravitas for the investor character.

Character

Maya

Critical Prestige

Jane Adams

Happiness
Twin Peaks: The Return
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Award-caliber character actress with deep indie credibility. Anchors the film's dramatic and emotional weight.

Character

Richard

International

Christopher Eccleston

Doctor Who — The 9th Doctor
28 Days Later
Thor: The Dark World — Malekith

Cult icon with deep UK and European appeal. Eccleston is a chameleonic actor who fully inhabits every role.

Attainability

All talent is within realistic reach for a $2M prestige sci-fi with strong material.

Role Excitement

Dual-role lead, morally complex antagonist, and career-defining supporting parts.

Ensemble Chemistry

Experienced actors accustomed to character-driven, dialogue-heavy productions.

International Appeal

Ken Watanabe and Christopher Eccleston provide immediate access to Asian and European markets.

11 — Festival Strategy

The Festival Campaign

01 — World Premiere

SXSW

Strong fit for Starfish as provocative, accessible, emotionally driven science fiction with a concept built to generate conversation.

TIFF

Increasingly compelling with a recognizable cast package and strong commercial/prestige positioning.

Sundance

Strong fit for Starfish if the finished film is emotionally devastating, quiet, and highly cinematic, offering the strongest prestige positioning for the film.

02 — Genre Festival Circuit

Sitges

Major international target with dedicated programming for ambitious and unconventional genre cinema.

Fantastic Fest

Strong fit if the finished film leans darker, stranger, or more disturbing.

Fantasia

Highly engaged genre audience with strong critic and industry presence.

03 — Local & Strategic Festivals

Regional & Local Circuit

Use select regional and local festivals to extend the film's momentum, build grassroots support, and create opportunities for press, audience engagement, and filmmaker visibility.

Festivals as a PR Engine

The festival campaign becomes the beginning of the theatrical marketing campaign.

Rather than simply screening the film, each festival becomes a content-generation and publicity engine feeding the theatrical release.

01Official Selection

↓

02Press & Reviews

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03Pull Quotes & Audience Reactions

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04Cast & Filmmaker Interviews

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05Science + Memory Conversations

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06Identity & Ethical Debate

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07Colorado Production Story

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08Theatrical Campaign

The Conversation

"Could memories ever actually be transferred?"

"If you have someone else's memories, are you still you?"

12 — The Roadmap

2026 — 2027

Production Roadmap — Click any phase to expand

Jun – Nov 2026

Development & Attachments

Actor attachments
Secure celebrity marketing partners
Bring on a known producer / studio partner

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Aug – Dec 2026

Financing & Packaging

Decide on shooting location and build relationships
Pre-sales conversations and packaging
Finish closing main financing by November

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Dec 2026 – Jan 2027

Pre-Production Begins

Build early press momentum
Finalize crew and team
Continue casting final roles

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Early 2027

Pre-Production

Sets, props, and costumes
Rehearsals
Final gap financing secured

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Apr – May 2027

Principal Photography

Full production shoot
On-location principal photography

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Jun – Sep 2027

Post-Production

Editing and color grading
Sound design and music score
Final delivery and DCP

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Sep – Oct 2027

Theatrical Release

Target theatrical release window
Festival circuit and press
P&A campaign launch

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Release

13 — Marketing & Data

Data-Driven Release

We deploy scene-level sentiment data and geographic audience intelligence to target the right markets, optimise key art, and launch a campaign built around what actually resonates — before a dollar goes to media buy.

Real-Time Sentiment Tracking

iScreeningRoom viewers click in real time when they like or dislike moments — with explanations. Starting at ~300 people, results produce statistically meaningful insights on pacing, character arcs, and emotional beats. Unlike one-night theater previews with skewed recruitment, iScreeningRoom reaches broader audiences online, yielding feedback that aligns closely with real-world scores.

Case Study

The Norseman Precedent

Norseman creator Anders Tangen spent $33k in targeted Facebook ads and brought the show to Netflix's top 10. In the first $18k spend he grew the Facebook page to 5.5 million followers in 28 days.

By testing posters, trailers, and key art in advance, engagement metrics reveal what actually drives interest — de-risking marketing spend before a single ticket goes on sale. Platforms are beginning to showcase scenes to encourage natural discovery, and scene-based content spurs organic engagement that no paid ad can replicate.

Pre-Release Strategy

Immersive Transmedia Rollout

In addition to scene-level marketing, we use immersive transmedia storytelling to seed organic online discussion via social influencers, Reddit, blogs, and more — a strategy proven by The Dark Knight, District 9, Longlegs, and The Blair Witch Project.

Week 1

The Incident

Launch the article ('Scientist Clones Wife After Tragic Accident') on Reddit and niche forums. Organic social media shares begin, fostering speculation.

Week 2

The Debate

Introduce follow-up articles ('Experts Question Cloning Breakthrough'). Seed conversations on Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook with thought-provoking questions.

Week 3

The Discovery

Release cryptic clues linking the story to Starfish — symbols, quotes, visuals. Collaborate with influencers to 'investigate' the story.

Week 4

The Reveal

Drop the teaser trailer and theatrical schedule. Encourage audience engagement with hashtags and calls to action.

14 — Distribution

Secured Distribution

Most independent films cross their fingers for festival recognition and a studio acquisition — with no backup plan if that doesn't happen. Starfish is different. We have distribution already secured through Atlas, giving us a concrete, actionable path to theaters regardless of what happens on the festival circuit.

Should a studio deal materialize that is genuinely ideal for the film and its investors, we'll pursue that path. But we're not waiting for one, and we're not banking on one. The plan is already in motion.

Strategy

Exponential Waves

We begin with a data-informed 20-theater rollout — using iScreeningRoom and CinemaCloudWorks to identify the highest-potential markets. Each subsequent wave is funded by receipts from the previous one, creating a self-sustaining expansion engine up to 2,500 screens.

We choose bookings — Atlas facilitates
Wave 1 receipts fund Wave 2 P&A
Wave 2 receipts fund Wave 3, and so on
Expansion continues until KPIs no longer show return

Gate Conditions

KPIs That Gate Expansion

We only advance to the next wave when at least two KPI signals are met and the wave shows positive net contribution after exhibitor settlement and variable costs.

01≥ 90% of target per-theater gross
02≥ 1.5× ROAS on paid campaigns
03≥ 20% advance ticket share by Thursday
04Strong fan density metrics in next DMA

Per Theater

$3,297

round cost

Cost Breakdown

Geo-targeted paid social ads$3,000 / theater

Booking & servicing$100 / theater

DCP / KDM / delivery$75 / theater

Local PR & listings$50 / theater

In-theater print collateral$72 / theater

Exhibitor relations: $5k/month — engaged only after 100 theaters. Total P&A spend through wave 10: $5.7M.

Theatrical Projections — Hover a wave to explore

DISCLAIMER: FUTURE PROJECTIONS ARE NOT GUARANTEED.

W10

Model Assumptions

Avg. ticket price: $16750 tickets sold per theater60% exhibitor share of grossSelf-sustaining by Wave 2

15 — Additional Revenue

Beyond the Box Office

Theatrical is the launchpad — not the ceiling. Starfish has multiple downstream revenue windows that operate independently of box office performance, each building on the audience and momentum created during the theatrical run.

01 — Beyond North America

International Distribution

All theatrical projections presented are North American only. International distribution represents an entirely separate — and largely untapped — revenue layer. As the film builds domestic momentum, we pursue international sales through territory-by-territory deals, foreign theatrical runs, and international streaming partnerships, each adding to investor returns without impacting the domestic model.

02 — Home Entertainment Windows

Video on Demand

Following theatrical, the film moves through a sequenced VOD rollout — each window capturing a distinct audience segment and revenue tier.

PVODPremium Video on Demand — early home access at a premium price point, typically 30–45 days post-theatrical.

TVODTransactional VOD — digital rental and purchase through platforms like Apple TV, Amazon, and Google Play.

SVODSubscription VOD — licensing to streaming platforms (Netflix, Max, Hulu, etc.) for a flat rights fee.

AVODAd-supported VOD — free streaming with ad revenue share, extending the film's long-tail reach.

03 — 6M+ Followers

Social Audience Capitalization

Our national marketing campaign is projected to build a social following of over 6 million people by the time ad spend concludes. That audience doesn't disappear after opening weekend — it becomes a direct-to-consumer channel for merchandise and media with no middleman.

VinylLimited-edition vinyl releases of the original soundtrack.

Blu-rayCollector's edition physical media with bonus content.

ApparelShirts, hoodies, and hats — co-designed with the film's aesthetic.

MediaLook books, art prints, and editorial media tied to the film's visual identity.

16 — Contact

Get in Touch

Micah Groenevelt

Director / Producer

micah@watchstarfish.com

Jeffrey Carabelos

Composer / Line Producer

jeffrey@watchstarfish.com

Elena Henry

Production Manager

elena@watchstarfish.com

STARFISH

What would you dofor a second chance?

What happens when your daughter starts remembering being your wife?

Who am I?

What if your memories belonged to someone else?

Companion

Ex Machina

Call Me By Your Name

The Relationship

Childhood

"M" for Marie

TENKARA

Visual Language

Earned Catharsis

$2,000,000

Producer's Unit

The Ensemble

Troy Baker

Hadley Robinson

Ken Watanabe

Jane Adams

Christopher Eccleston

The Festival Campaign

SXSW

TIFF

Sundance

Sitges

Fantastic Fest

Fantasia

Regional & Local Circuit

The festival campaign becomes the beginning of the theatrical marketing campaign.

2026 — 2027

Development & Attachments

Financing & Packaging

Pre-Production Begins

Pre-Production

Principal Photography

Post-Production

Theatrical Release

Data-Driven Release

Real-Time Sentiment Tracking

The Norseman Precedent

Immersive Transmedia Rollout

The Incident

The Debate

The Discovery

The Reveal

Secured Distribution

Exponential Waves

KPIs That Gate Expansion

Beyond the Box Office

International Distribution

Video on Demand

Social Audience Capitalization

Get in Touch

What would you do
for a second chance?