Anchor Bay Entertainment announced today the acquisition of the psychological thriller Abandoned for North American distribution through its Anchor Bay Films label. Directed by Michael Feifer (A Christmas Proposal, Soda Springs), the film is written by Peter Sullivan (Eve’s Christmas, Termination Point), from a story by Jeffrey Schenck and Peter Sullivan and is the last screen appearance by the late actress Brittany Murphy.

Produced by Jeffrey Schenck (Boy Next Door, American Bandits, “The Dog Who Saved Christmas”) and Barry Barnholtz (“The Dog Who Saved Christmas”, Drifter: Henry Lee Lucas) for Hybrid, Abandoned is slated to be released in summer 2010.

“Anchor Bay established its reputation by releasing some of the most thrilling films on the market, and Abandoned is a movie that delivers,” states Kevin Kasha, senior vice president, acquisitions, Anchor Bay Films. “Abandoned has the kind of twists and turns that will have the audience guessing until the end; and keep them talking after.”

Producer Barnholtz says, “Anchor Bay understands the horror and thriller genres, the entire team is unbelievably talented, and I think Abandoned fits in perfectly with the company’s outstanding catalog.”

Abandoned is, sadly, the final film role for the talented actress Brittany Murphy (Sin City, 8 Mile, Girl Interrupted, Clueless), who passed away in December. Producers Barnholtz and Schenck have released this joint statement: “Brittany will be deeply missed by everyone who worked on Abandoned. The film is a taut thriller which portrays Brittany’s character as smart and tough – and that’s how we all want to remember her.”

Anchor Bay Entertainment President Bill Clark adds, “Releasing this young actress’s last film is both an honor and bittersweet. It was important to Anchor Bay that the timing of this release be right, because we’re sensitive to such a tragic loss. However, we also recognize that Brittany’s fans will want to see her amazing work.”

Abandoned follows Mary Walsh (Murphy) as she delivers boyfriend Kevin (Dean Cain, TV’s “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman”) to a hospital for routine outpatient surgery. But when Mary returns to take him home, he’s mysteriously vanished. An administrator (Mimi Rogers, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, TV’s “The X Files”) can’t find any record of him, and a police search turns up nothing. Increasingly frantic, Mary is taken to staff psychiatrist Dr. Bensley (Peter Bogdanovich, TV’s “The Sopranos,” directed Mask, Paper Moon, The Last Picture Show), who pronounces her unstable. Now she must not only find her missing boyfriend, but prove her own sanity. A stranger informs Mary he knows Kevin’s whereabouts, but demands a $10 million ransom, this forces Mary to save herself and the man she loves … by any means necessary.

Anchor Bay Films is unique in that it offers the creative community a fully integrated distribution capability and an international solution extending beyond the U.S. Anchor Bay Films, a division of Anchor Bay Entertainment, is on the ground providing quality distribution with operations in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, as well as distribution capabilities in other key territories. The company focuses on a platform release strategy for its films with an eye toward maximizing their potential across all ancillary distribution platforms. Recent releases include Spread starring Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche, The Open Road starring Jeff Bridges and Justin Timberlake, Broken Lizard’s The Slammin’ Salmon starring Michael Clarke Duncan, and After.Life starring Liam Neeson and Christina Ricci. Its current theatrical release Frozen premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and it will release City Island, starring Andy Garcia and Julianna Margulies, in March 2010.

Coroner officials said Murphy had gone into sudden cardiac arrest because of “drug intake,” and the Dec. 20 death was classified as an accident. They said an autopsy report would be available in two weeks.

Murphy, 32, went into cardiac arrest at her home in the Hollywood Hills. L.A. firefighters responded to a medical call at about 8 a.m. at the home she shared with husband Simon Monjack in the 1800 block of Rising Glen Road.

Firefighters tried unsuccessfully to revive Murphy on the way to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead about two hours later.

Born Nov. 10, 1977, in Atlanta, Murphy moved to Burbank with her mother when she was 13. Her film break came in the movie “Clueless” (1995), in which she starred opposite Alicia Silverstone.

Murphy made many other film appearances, including in “Girl Interrupted” (1999), “8 Mile” (2002), “The Dead Girl” (2006), and “Across the Hall” (2009). She also was featured as the voice of Luanne Platter in the Fox TV show “King of the Hill.”

From the Los Angeles Times

Please do not redistribute these photos elsewhere – instead please link to the gallery page it is on http://www.brittany-murphy.net/vault/thumbnails.php?album=475… Thank you!

“She had a little bit of a cold,” says Murphy’s mother Sharon of the days leading up to the actress’s death. “You could never in a billion years imagine this happening.”

Despite rumors that have swirled since her passing, both Sharon Murphy and Brittany’s husband, Simon Monjack, say the 32-year-old did not suffer from mental illness, use drugs or have an eating disorder. “Do you not think anybody would have picked up on this anorexic, mentally deranged person?” Monjack tells PEOPLE. “It’s ludicrous.”

The pair have spent the last month sequestered in Murphy’s Hollywood home. PEOPLE was the first media outlet allowed into the residence.

Both say Murphy’s heart condition was diagnosed in her teens and that she had been given appropriate medical care. “We had it checked out every which way you could imagine,” says Monjack.

Murphy’s mother says her daughter’s naturally “bubbly” personality may have sparked rumors of drug use. “She never even drank. Maybe a glass of champagne at New Years,” says Sharon. ” But everyone used to say she was wasted, she was this, she was that. It was hard for anyone to imagine that somebody was so high on life.”

For an in-depth interview with Sharon Murphy and Simon Monjack and an exclusive look inside the actress’s Hollywood home, check out next week’s PEOPLE, on sale Jan. 22.

British screenwriter Simon Monjack, the actress’ husband, and Sharon Murphy, the actress’ mom, will have an hour interview on “Larry King Live” at 9 p.m. Wednesday, January 20th.

CNN is billing the chat as Monjack and Murphy’s first in-depth TV interview since the actress died Dec. 20. Brittany Murphy, who was 32, had collapsed at her Hollywood Hills home. The coroner’s office is waiting on a toxicology report before ruling on what killed her.