# RKSS
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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RKSS
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{{Short description|Canadian filmmaking trio}}
{{about|the filmmaking collective|the airport with this code|Gimpo International Airport}}
{{Infobox company
| name = RKSS
| type = Filmmaking collective
| founded = {{Start date and age|2004}}
| location = [Quebec](/source/Quebec), Canada
| key_people = {{Plainlist|
* Anouk Whissell
* Yoann-Karl Whissell
* François Simard (until 2024)[{{cite web |last1=McAndrews |first1=Mary Beth |title=Genre Filmmaking Group RKSS Issues First Public Statement Following François Simard’s Removal Amid Child Sexual Assault Accusations |url= https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/528079/genre-filmmaking-group-rkss-issues-first-public-statement-following-francois-simards-removal-amid-child-sexual-assault-accusations/ |access-date=October 31, 2025 |date=April 15, 2025}}]
}}
}}
'''RKSS''', an initialism for '''Roadkill Superstars''', is a filmmaking duo consisting of Canadian [film director](/source/film_director)s '''Anouk Whissell''' and '''Yoann-Karl Whissell'''.[{{cite web |last1=Aguilar |first1=Carlos |title=Next Fest: 7 Questions with the RKSS Collective, the Filmmaking Team Behind 'Turbo Kid' |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2015/08/next-fest-7-questions-with-the-rkss-collective-the-filmmaking-team-behind-turbo-kid-170961/ |publisher=[IndieWire](/source/IndieWire) |access-date=February 3, 2019 |date=August 7, 2015}}]
They are known for writing and directing their debut feature film ''[Turbo Kid](/source/Turbo_Kid)'' (2015) and for directing the [horror](/source/horror_film) [mystery film](/source/mystery_film) ''[Summer of 84](/source/Summer_of_84)'' (2018).
== History ==
The group have been making short films since the mid-2000s, and cited their 2004 short ''Le Bagman'' as the first that "got an audience to follow [their] work", additionally crediting ''Total Fury'' (2007) and ''Demonitron'' (2010) as projects that further defined their style and technique.[{{cite web |last1=Whissell |first1=Yoann-Karl |last2=Simard |first2=François |last3=Whissell |first3=Anouk |title=How To Make the Jump from a Short to a Sundance Film Festival Feature |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2015/01/how-to-make-the-jump-from-a-short-to-a-sundance-film-festival-feature-65650/ |publisher=[IndieWire](/source/IndieWire) |access-date=May 21, 2021 |date=January 27, 2015}}]
In 2011, the trio submitted a short to the anthology film ''[The ABCs of Death](/source/The_ABCs_of_Death)'', which features 26 short films based on each letter of the English alphabet. The film's producers [Ant Timpson](/source/Ant_Timpson) and [Tim League](/source/Tim_League) held a competition seeking unknown directors to create a short for the letter "T", and the group submitted ''T is for Turbo'', which placed third in the competition and was included on the film's home release.[{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Nigel M. |title="The ABCs of Death" Selects Its 26th (And Last) Director |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2011/11/the-abcs-of-death-selects-its-26th-and-last-director-51116/ |publisher=[IndieWire](/source/IndieWire) |access-date=May 19, 2021 |date=November 15, 2011}}] Impressed with their work, Timpson approached them to develop the short into the feature film ''Turbo Kid''.[{{cite web |last1=Nemiroff |first1=Perri |title=Directors Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whissell Talk Turbo Kid at Sundance |url=https://collider.com/turbo-kid-francois-simard-anouk-whissell-yoann-karl-whissell-interview/ |publisher=[Collider](/source/Collider_(website)) |access-date=May 19, 2021 |date=January 27, 2015}}] [Jason Eisener](/source/Jason_Eisener), who directed the ''Y is for Youngbuck'' section of the anthology, also supported RKSS at the [Fantasia International Film Festival](/source/Fantasia_International_Film_Festival)'s Frontieres Co-Production Market in 2013.[{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=Todd |title=Jason Eisener Talks The ABCs of Death |url=https://screenanarchy.com/2013/01/jason-eisener-talks-the-abcs-of-death.html |publisher=[Screen Anarchy](/source/Screen_Anarchy) |access-date=May 19, 2021 |date=January 31, 2013}}] ''Turbo Kid'' premiered at the [2015 Sundance Film Festival](/source/2015_Sundance_Film_Festival)[{{cite news |last1=Pedersen |first1=Erik |title='Turbo Kid' Teaser Trailer – Cheeky '80s Action Meets 2015 Park City At Midnight |url=https://deadline.com/2015/01/turbo-kid-trailer-sundance-michael-ironside-1201359838/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150127224028/http://deadline.com/2015/01/turbo-kid-trailer-sundance-michael-ironside-1201359838/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 27, 2015 |access-date=May 21, 2021 |work=[Deadline Hollywood](/source/Deadline_Hollywood) |publisher=[Penske Media Corporation](/source/Penske_Media_Corporation) |date=June 16, 2015}}] and was theatrically released on August 28, 2015, by [Epic Pictures Group](/source/Epic_Pictures_Group).[{{cite news |last1=Pedersen |first1=Erik |title='Turbo Kid' Gets August Release Date; Eric Goldberg Joins USC School of Cinematic Arts |url=https://deadline.com/2015/06/turbo-kid-release-date-eric-goldberg-joins-usc-school-of-cinematic-arts-1201446080/ |access-date=May 21, 2021 |work=[Deadline Hollywood](/source/Deadline_Hollywood) |publisher=[Penske Media Corporation](/source/Penske_Media_Corporation) |date=June 16, 2015}}]
RKSS signed to an agency after the success of ''Turbo Kid'', and during a "tour of meetings" were approached by production company assistant Matt Leslie, who pitched them the idea for ''[Summer of 84](/source/Summer_of_84)''.[{{cite news |last1=Haubrich |first1=Wess |title=A chat with the filmmaking triforce behind 2015's Turbo Kid and the new nostalgia thriller Summer of '84: RKSS. |url=https://www.thefourohfive.com/film/article/a-chat-with-the-filmmaking-triforce-behind-nostalgia-thriller-summer-of-84-rkss-153 |access-date=May 21, 2021 |work=[The 405](/source/The_405_(magazine)) |date=August 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810093852if_/https://www.thefourohfive.com/film/article/a-chat-with-the-filmmaking-triforce-behind-nostalgia-thriller-summer-of-84-rkss-153 |archive-date=August 10, 2018}}] Leslie and co-writer Stephen J. Smith described the film's ending to the trio, and they signed on to direct.[{{cite web |last1=Navarro |first1=Meagan |title=[Interview] Director Trio RKSS Talk Balancing Nostalgia with Grim Thrills in 'Summer of 84' |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/interviews/3512721/interview-director-trio-rkss-talk-balancing-nostalgia-grim-thrills-summer-84-embargoed-august-10/ |publisher=[Bloody Disgusting](/source/Bloody_Disgusting) |access-date=February 3, 2019 |date=August 10, 2018}}] With the unexpected release and subsequent success of the [Netflix](/source/Netflix) series ''[Stranger Things](/source/Stranger_Things)'' in 2016, the group was afraid of possible similarities between the two projects. Anouk Whissell watched the series and found it "very different", with only a reference to the [tabletop role-playing game](/source/tabletop_role-playing_game) ''[Dungeons & Dragons](/source/Dungeons_%26_Dragons)'' removed from ''Summer of 84'' as a result.[{{cite web |last1=Prokopy |first1=Steven |title='Summer of '84 Directors on Crafting Their Nostalgic Horror Throwback and the Status of 'Turbo Kid 2' [Fantasia Film Festival Interview] |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/summer-of-84-directors-interview/ |website=[/Film](/source/%2FFilm) |access-date=February 3, 2019 |date=August 10, 2018}}] The film premiered at the [2018 Sundance Film Festival](/source/2018_Sundance_Film_Festival), and received a [simultaneous release](/source/simultaneous_release) in August 2018.[{{cite web |last1=Foutch |first1=Haleigh |title=Watch: Exclusive 'Summer of '84' Clip Goes on a Manhunt for a Murderer |url=https://collider.com/summer-of-84-clip/ |publisher=[Collider](/source/Collider_(website)) |access-date=May 21, 2021 |date=August 2, 2018}}] That October, it was released to streaming as a [Shudder](/source/Shudder_(streaming_service))-exclusive film.[{{cite news |last1=Davis |first1=Carla |title=31 movies to watch in October: Summer of '84 |url=https://1428elm.com/2019/10/14/31-movies-october-summer-of-84/ |access-date=May 21, 2021 |work=1428 Elm |publisher=[FanSided](/source/FanSided) |date=October 14, 2019}}]
On November 1st 2024, François Simard was removed from the collective following criminal accusations.[{{cite news |last1=Kay |first1=Jeremy |title=RKSS Collective, Turbo Kid |url=https://www.screendaily.com/interviews/rkss-collective-turbo-kid/5082250.article |access-date=May 21, 2021 |work=[Screen Daily](/source/Screen_International) |publisher=Media Business Insight |date=January 26, 2015}}] That August, they were preparing a pitch for that film, now referred to as ''Elora's Death Wish'', along with an adaptation of the comic book series ''[The Zombies That Ate the World](/source/The_Zombies_That_Ate_the_World)''.[{{cite news |last1=Fillion |first1=Pamela |title=Turbo Kid is a Montreal film scene success |url=https://cultmtl.com/2015/08/turbo-kid/ |access-date=March 10, 2023 |work=[Cult MTL](/source/Cult_MTL) |date=August 13, 2015}}]
In September 2016, RKSS directed a music video for Le Matos' song "No Tomorrow", which also served as a prequel to ''Turbo Kid'' and featured [Laurence Leboeuf](/source/Laurence_Leboeuf) reprising her role as Apple.[{{cite web |last1=Barkan |first1=Jonathan |title='Turbo Kid 2' Officially Announced |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3408328/turbo-kid-2-officially-announced/ |publisher=[Bloody Disgusting](/source/Bloody_Disgusting) |access-date=May 21, 2021 |date=September 28, 2016}}] The next day, they confirmed that a sequel had been [greenlit](/source/Green-light) and that they hoped to begin filming by mid-2017.[{{cite news |last1=LaPointe |first1=Bruno |title=«Turbo Kid 2» en chantier |url=https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2016/09/27/turbo-kid-2-en-chantier |access-date=May 21, 2021 |work=[Le Journal de Montréal](/source/Le_Journal_de_Montr%C3%A9al) |publisher=[Quebecor](/source/Quebecor) |date=September 27, 2016}}] By August 2018, the group confirmed the film was still in development and that they were "deep in the writing process" for it.[{{cite web |last1=Miska |first1=Brad |author1-link=Brad Miska |title='Turbo Kid' Sequel Still Planned; Likened to 'The Road Warrior' |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3603535/turbo-kid-sequel-still-works-likened-road-warrior/ |publisher=[Bloody Disgusting](/source/Bloody_Disgusting) |access-date=May 19, 2021 |date=February 5, 2020}}] In 2018, the group was also writing adaptations of two comics books, with Yoann-Karl Whissell saying that one is a [horror](/source/Horror_comics) comic and the other is about zombies.