George Henry Horton started his professional journey in 2011 in London when he launched YouTube channel JesterLads whilst studying at King’s College London (KCL). It soon went viral, bringing in unexpected attention to George in his early 20s. His YouTube channel was featured in several news channels, including NBC, ABC, and many others.
“I remember us being invited to appear on Good Morning America, and being pretty bummed out that I couldn’t go because we had exams the next day!”
However, his real journey into the world of films and cinemas really began when he got admitted to the reputable American Film Institute, Los Angeles. He got a major breakthrough in his career when his thesis film project, Dreadspace, was bought by Dust in the US and Channel 4 in the UK. The thesis was written and produced by George for academic purposes, and again, no expectations of this kind of attention were expected.
After completing his graduation from AFI, he threw himself into filmmaking full time, and has not looked back since. He has produced, written and directed several features, and is even a member of the Producer’s Guild of America (PGA). Some of his released projects include Waiting Game (Bruce McGill, John Patrick Amedori), Useless Humans (Josh Zuckerman, Iqbal Theba) and Ice Cream in the Cupboard (Jaime King, Dana Ashbrook).
“To be honest, it all seems obvious now that this is what I wanted to do. But that wasn’t always clear to me. I am happy the way my career has shaped up recently and I couldn’t ask for more. Currently, I am working on a really fun project, ‘Anne, With Love.’ It’s a psychological thriller, and I hoping to keep the audience very much on their toes. Mostly, I am thankful to all the leading actors in the movie, including Skins-famed Blaine Morris, American Beauty star Mena Suvari, and of course Halloween Franchise hero Danielle Harris.” George remarked.
George is hopeful that his forthcoming feature film will be released shortly. Sharing his experience about working with great artists for this film, George stated, “Mena, Danielle, and Blaine are great actors to work with. They took away my stress and portrayed their characters meticulously. They went beyond the script and dialogue to exhibit their talent. It’s really been a fairytale to have worked with them. I’m also immensely thankful to supporting cast and crew members, as well as my management company, Bohemia. Each of them brings so much to the table.”
“In particular, working with Bohemia and developing stories with them has been fantastic.”
George hinted that his upcoming film will be a psychological horror thriller with a twisty storyline. The feature film revolves around love, trauma, horror, and relationship crisis. A little more interrogation revealed that there also remains one last casting notice to announce. George won’t say much, only that the actor in question may or may not have been nominated for an Academy Award.
“And honestly, it’s being able to work with such inspiring folks which makes it all worthwhile.”
George’s second project is Dorothy, and is a ‘sci-fi thriller’. Not hugely interested in genre specific stories, he explains he loves to explore genre-bending projects.
Project Dorothy was developed with Kinogo Pictures, a production company run by fellow AFI grad Ryan Scaringe. Recent releases of Kinogo include The Djinn and The Boy Behind the Door, both of which featured in the top 25 horror releases of 2021, according to critics.
“My role at Kinogo Pictures developing Project Dorothy and other content has been some of the most rewarding of my life. Ryan is a great collaborator and great friend. He’s someone to watch for sure. I hope he remembers me when he takes over Hollywood!”
George’s message to those interested in filmmaking is that no matter how far removed from their life it may seem, it’s entirely possible. When George started his studies at KCL he was majoring in Religion and Philosophy. Now he’s rubbing shoulders with [possible!] oscar nominees and some of the most vibrant production companies and filmmakers in Hollywood.
“Just go make something. The invisible barrier of not even trying is what stops 90% of us from receiving our aspirations, whether in the film industry or in any aspect of life in general.”
You can know more here.
