A Hollywood film featuring Beauregard Parish’s Gothic Hanging Jail has been purchased by Netflix, tourism officials told the American Press, and is expected to be made available for streaming in the near future.

Entertainment reports have announced that Netflix has purchased the rights to Eli, the horror film produced by Paramount that will feature the Gothic Jail as a location within its story.

The movie is reportedly set to center around a boy named Eli, who is receiving treatment for an auto-immune disorder when he finds out his home is no longer safe. It was directed by “Sinister 2” director Ciaran Foy.

According to entertainment reports, the film was slated for a Jan. 4 theatrical release but had been pushed back by several weeks in December, possibly due to the impending purchase by the subscription streaming provider.

The film is still expected to be released this year, but no official release date has been announced yet by Netflix.

Beauregard Tourism Director Lori Darbonne said that she was thrilled to hear the news that the movie would be available for streaming.

“After seeing the great success of other movies released by Netflix, I believe this will be a huge deal for the jail and I am excited to see what that level of publicity may do for the facility,” Darbonne stated.

Originally built in 1914, the jail has solidified its place in local haunted tales after the hanging of two convicted murders in 1928. The jail was later closed to the public in the 1980s, and in 2016 after years of exhausting work by Darbonne and the parish police jury the building was reopened for tours with its inaugural Gothic Jail After Dark halloween event.

Since that reopening, Darbonne and the police jury have continued to restore the building as a tourist attraction, offering both day and night tours to visitors and residents alike.

Last year, the two groups were awarded the Louisiana Historic Preservation Award for their work at utilizing the historic building as an economic resource for the area.

Darbonne said receiving the award was extremely rewarding.

“In an era where many of our historical buildings are facing demolition rather than renovation, we received the award for our perseverance in saving the site,” she stated.

Beauregard Parish police jurors are hoping to reallocate $200,000 in state money for the abatement of lead-based paint and asbestos inside DeRidder’s Gothic jail, also known as the “hanging jail.” The money was approved several years ago and is still available, but the parish must resubmit plans to spend it. The abatement must be done before restoration or renovation can begin at the old jail.

American Press Archives