Avengers' Joss Whedon releases new film online as surprise

The cult director has dropped supernatural romance In Your Eyes on Vimeo

Cult film director Joss Whedon dropped In Your Eyes on Vimeo unexpectedly on Sunday night (Getty Images)

Cult director Joss Whedon has 'done a Beyoncé' and released his latest creative offering online as a surprise.

The Avengers filmmaker sparked great excitement among fans when he made In Your Eyes available to rent for on video streaming service Vimeo for just $5 (£3) on Sunday.

The movie is the second from his “micro studio” Bellwether Pictures, following on from 2013’s indie adaptation of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.

A supernatural romance, In Your Eyes stars Zoe Kazan and Michael Stahl-David as lovers who believe they share a strange telepathic connection.

“It’s exciting for us because we get to explore yet another new form of distribution and we get $5,” said Whedon, despite The Avengers raking in a massive $1.5 billion (£892 million) at the box office in 2012.

Fans have already left reviews of In Your Eyes on the website, calling it “supremely sad, fabulous funny and terrifyingly tender” with a script that is “executed beautifully”.

The film’s unexpected release was announced by Whedon via video link at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. “It’s a very exciting night for us because it’s not just the premiere of the film, it’s the worldwide release date,” he said.

Whedon has built up a solid fanbase from his work on the likes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Toy Story and Speed. He has written and produced In your Eyes, which Brin Hill has directed.

Hill has described In Your Eyes as “about two people, classic Joss loner heroes, who are looking to break out of their limited circumstances and band together to find connection and meaning”.

Whedon’s next confirmed release will be 2015’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron.