Shaked Berenson’s LA-based distribution and sales company Entertainment Squad has acquired worldwide rights to the dramatic thriller Root Letter from Japan’s Ammo Inc. and California-based AMMO Entertainment and will launch international sales in Toronto.

Emmy-nominated Sonja O’Hara (Mid-Century, Doomsday) directed from David Ebeltoft’s adapted screenplay based on the video game from Kadokawa Games.

Danny Ramirez from Top Gun: Maverick stars as Carlos, an impoverished teen, who sets off to help an old school pen pal, Sarah, who tells him she has killed someone.

Carlos uncovers a criminal plot involving Sarah’s fraught group of friends and the secret which has led to Sarah’s disappearance.

Keana Marie also stars and the cast includes Mark St. Cyr and Lydia Hearst. AMMO Entertainment and Ammo Inc. produced and financed, with AMMO Entertainment’s Annmarie Sairrino, Ammo’s Moeko Suzuki, and Kat McPhee serving as producers.

Entertainment Squad will release Root Letter in select theatres in New York and Los Angeles and on major VoD platforms on September 1. CEO Berenson negotiated the deal with AMMO Entertainment and Ammo Inc.

O’Hara said, “I was drawn to David Ebeltoft’s Root Letter script for its disturbing and hyper-realistic depiction of the opioid crisis. It was an uncomfortable read that left me with a sense of dread that continued to haunt me. I immediately knew I had to direct it. As an immigrant myself, I was moved by Carlos’s journey and Danny Ramirez brought such pathos to the role. I can’t think of a more relevant time to share this urgent story with the world.”

Ammo Entertainment CEO Sairrino added, “I’m especially proud that all three producers on our film are women. We were so fortunate to have worked with such an amazing group of rising talents, including our leading actress, Keana Marie. She captivated us from the first audition onward; as soon as we heard her, we knew we had found our Sarah. And we are grateful to Shaked Berenson and Entertainment Squad for their guidance in bringing this film to audiences. We hope that everyone, including the many fans of the original Japanese video game, will enjoy this thrilling and emotional story.”

AMMO Entertainment and Ammo Inc.’s J-Horror adaptation Room 203 was licensed for global release by Voltage Pictures and distributed in the US by Vertical Entertainment earlier in 2022.

Among Entertainment Squad’s recent films are Paper Spiders starring Lili Taylor, Stefanie LaVie Owens, and Peyton List and the Daytime Emmy nominated limited series Doomsday.