It's here in the Archives section that you will find the news of the last three months.
----- December 23, 2019 -----
** DOCTOR SLEEP: Filmmaker Mike Flanagan has confirmed that the upcoming home video release of DOCTOR SLEEP, his sequel to the iconic Stephen King horror classic THE SHINING, will include a decidedly longer director's cut version.
Specifically the release will clock in with nearly 30 minutes of extra footage, pushing the film's runtime to a full three hours. Flanagan himself announced the director's cut which hits streaming on January 21st and both 4K and Blu-ray disc on February 4th. In addition, there will be new, alternate, and extended scenes and multiple featurettes. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** WHAT JOSIAH SAW: Nick Stahl, Robert Patrick, Jake Weber, Kelli Garner and Tony Hale will star in Vincent Grashaw's forthcoming psychological horror feature WHAT JOSIAH SAW which recently wrapped filming in Oklahoma. Robert Alan Dilts penned the story of a family with buried secrets who reunite at a farmhouse after two decades to pay for their past sins. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** BAD HAIR: Former publicist turned celebrated filmmaker Justin Simien follows up DEAR WHITE PEOPLE with the cheeky horror satire about a young woman from Compton in L.A. who wants to be a VJ in the late 80s/early 90s but doesn't have the right look. She makes a Faustian bargain with the new network head and ends up with a weave in her head that may or may not have a mind of its own. Simien says he wants to do a 'weird horror-satire love letter' to black women who 'suffer quiet little deaths just to be seen in our culture'. Vanessa Williams, Laverne Cox, Michelle Hurd and more star in the film which has its debut at this year's Sundance. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** INTO THE DARK: A group of longtime gay best friends and their resident fruit fly head to a beautiful desert home to celebrate New Year's Eve. One of their annual traditions is to play Midnight Kiss, a sexy but ultimately dangerous challenge to find that special someone to help you ring in the New Year. As friendships have grown strained with secrets, jealousy and resentment, the group faces another challenge when a sadistic killer wants in. Relationships are put to the test and truths are revealed as the night turns into a fight for survival.
----- December 20, 2019 -----
** COLOR OUT OF SPACE: Here's the second poster for the highly anticipated film.
** COME TO DADDY: A man in his thirties travels to a remote cabin to reconnect with his estranged father.
** THE HAWKLINE MONSTER: Director Yorgos Lanthimos is reportedly in talks to direct a film adaptation of Richard Brautigan's darkly comic horror western novel for New Regency.
The story follows two unlikely hero gunslingers hired by a fifteen-year-old girl named Magic Child to kill the monster that lives in ice caves under the basement of a house inhabited by a young woman named Miss Hawkline. What follows is a unique adventure where there is more to Magic Child, Miss Hawkline and the house than meets the eye.
The film has had a long Hollywood history. The late and great Hal Ashby spent years trying to mount a movie version with the likes of Harry Dean Stanton, Jeff Bridges and Jack Nicholson under consideration in the late 1970s. Tim Burton also tried to do a version with Nicholson and Clint Eastwood but that too collapsed. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** AFTER MIDNIGHT: Ten years into his small-town, storybook romance with Abby, Hank suddenly wakes up to an empty home. With nothing but a cryptic note to explain why she left, Hank's charmed life begins to fall apart. To make matters worse, Abby's disappearance seems to trigger the arrival of a ferocious creature that crawls out of the old grove on the edge of his property.
** THE GRUDGE remake: Here's a clip from the upcoming remake of a remake.
----- December 19, 2019 -----
** Quentin Tarantino's HALLOWEEN 6: Though labelled the worst of the series by many, it's a film that has more going for it than some other entries – including a baby faced Paul Rudd in the lead role – but famously suffered a notoriously troubled production including an entirely reshot and very different third act.
Consequence of Sound reports that in the recently released book "Taking Shape," it has been revealed that filmmaker Quentin Tarantino nearly wrote the movie – the filmmaker offered the chance to write the film by Miramax in the early 1990s.
He didn't take the job, but was far enough along the road to offer some ideas. He says in the book that: "it would have been if I had done it, I never got hired but it would have been my job to figure out who the guy in the boots is."
Tarantino is referring to the Man in Black. The fifth film of the series introduced the first elements of Celtic mythology to the franchise – using a Druidic curse to explain Myers' invulnerability and need to kill at Halloween. At the same time it introduced a mysterious trench-coated figure who saves Myers from a fiery prison but whose face is never seen.
The sixth film's job included much more about the cult and the reveal of the identity of the figure, but it wasn't planned out beforehand – leaving it up to the writer to come up with an explanation. Writer Daniel Farrands ultimately got the gig and included a reveal of the Man in Black's identity towards the film's end. Tarantino explains that his idea would've included that reveal sooner, saying:
"Yeah, I was like, 'Leave that scene where [the Man in Black] shows up, alright, and freeze Michael Myers.' And so the only thing that I had in my mind, I still hadn't figured out who that dude was, was like the first 20 minutes would have been the Lee Van Cleef dude and Michael Myers on the highway, on the road, and they stop at coffee shops and shit and wherever Michael Myers stops, he kills everybody. So, they're like leaving a trail of bodies on Route 66."
Ultimately the film was a flop, putting the franchise on ice for a few years until HALLOWEEN H20 arrived to much greater success and more recently 2018's HALLOWEEN revival rendered the events of HALLOWEEN 6 THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS null and void. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** A QUIET PLACE PART II: Trailer coming New Year's Day. Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe) must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.
** COLOR OUT OF SPACE: Here's the poster for the highly anticipated film.
** MALIGNANT: Director James Wan took to Instagram to reveal that production has officially wrapped on Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema's forthcoming horror film MALIGNANT which will be Wan's first non-THE CONJURING horror collaboration with the two studios.
----- December 18, 2019 -----
** SAINT MAUD: From writer/director Rose Glass and starring Morfydd Clark and Jennifer Ehle. SAINT MAUD — Spring 2020.
** BEAR horror comedy: Phil Lord and Chris Miller are teaming with READY OR NOT directors Radio Silence for an untitled project described as a "bear-driven horror-comedy with heart" at Universal Pictures. More specifically it is being dubbed a cross between this year's raunchy underage kids comedy GOOD BOYS and the Leonardo DiCaprio-led survival drama THE REVENANT.
Jimmy Warden penned the spec script which Lord and Miller will produce. The Radio Silence trio of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett will direct while Chad Villella will produce. Warden previously worked as a production assistant on Lord & Miller's 21 JUMP STREET film. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** LOCKE & KEY: Here's the poster for the upcoming Netflix series.
** A QUIET PLACE sequel: Here's the first image from the upcoming sequel.
----- December 17, 2019 -----
** GHOST STORIES: Four mind-bending thrillers from the Directors of LUST STORIES - Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee, and Karan Johar. Starring Janhvi Kapoor, Sobhita Dhulipala, Gulshan Devaiah and Mrunal Thakur.
** BLACK CHRISTMAS remake: A remake of the 1974 holiday horror classic, and it was only able to muster an estimated $4.4 million from 2,625 locations. While this isn't the worst wide release for Blumhouse ever, it is the second worst wide release for a Blumhouse feature debuting in over 2,000 theaters. And while the film entered the weekend with a 43% score on RottenTomatoes, horror films can typically withstand poor reviews, but audiences seemed to agree, giving the film a "D+" CinemaScore. Of the opening weekend crowd, 54% were female and 57% were aged 25 or older. (thanks to BoxOfficeMojo.com)
----- December 16, 2019 -----
** GAME OF THRONES producers doing Lovecraft: GAME OF THRONES series creators David Benioff & D.B. Weiss have set up an untitled film at Warner Bros. Pictures that will be inspired by the works of horror author H.P. Lovecraft and Keith Giffen's 2004 graphic novel LOVECRAFT from Vertigo Comics.
They've also enlisted the DESTROYER team of Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi to pen the script and that film's celebrated director Karyn Kusama to executive produce.
Set in 1920 within the Cthulhu mythos, the movie turns on the question – what if author H.P. Lovecraft wasn't making his famous stories up? What if the monsters he wrote about in famed stories like "At the Mountains of Madness," "Shadow over Innsmouth" and "The Dunwich Horror" are real?
A similar premise was explored in John Carpenter's 1995 film IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS which has achieved a major cult following in recent years. Lovecraft himself has seen a resurgence of late with adaptations of his work with the video games "The Sinking City" and "Call of Cthulhu" and the Nic Cage-led film COLOR OUT OF SPACE being releases. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** DRACULA: From the makers of SHERLOCK, Claes Bang stars as Dracula in this brand new mini-series inspired by Bram Stoker's classic novel.
** VFW: The film follows Fred and his military buddies as they must defend their local V.F.W. (Veterans of Foreign Wars) post – and an innocent teen – against a deranged drug dealer and his relentless army of punk mutants. These Vietnam vets have been to hell and back, but this will be the longest night of their lives.
----- December 13, 2019 -----
** THE DARK HALF: Stephen King adaptations have been all the rage once again and now MGM is getting on board the train as they have signed HER SMELL director Alex Ross Perry to adapt and direct a second adaptation of King's 1989 novel THE DARK HALF, according to the Deadline web site.
The story, first adapted on the big screen in 1993 by George A. Romero, follows an author whose books under his pen name sell better than those under his actual name, but he chooses to retire the pseudonym and write more under his real name after it's exposed. However, after he and his wife give the alter ego a ceremonial burial, those close to the family begin turning up dead as it's revealed his pseudonym has come to life in a second body and the author must stop him before it's too late. (thanks to ComingSoon.net)
** THE NIGHTSHIFTER: Stênio works the graveyard shift in the morgue of a vast, violent city. Each night he prepares the lifeless corpses for examination, but he's never alone. For Stênio can talk to the dead…and they talk back. But when the whispers of the dead reveal secrets of his own life, Stênio unleashes a curse that brings forth unimaginable danger and darkness.
** THE GRUDGE: The series returns to theaters on January 3, 2020. Here's the Red Band trailer.
----- December 12, 2019 -----
** THE CONJURING 3: Warner Bros. Pictures used their CCXP panel on Sunday to make a couple of announcements. The official title of the third main film in THE CONJURING franchise won't be THE CONJURING 3 but rather THE CONJURING THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT. The film will open in theaters nationwide on September 11th next year.
One of the most sensational cases from the files of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, the film starts with a fight for the soul of a young boy which then goes beyond anything ever seen before – marking the first time in U.S. history that a murder suspect would claim demonic possession as a defense.
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return as the Warrens while Ruairi O'Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook, and Julian Hilliard co-star. James Wan only produces this time, handing over the directorial reins to Michael Chaves. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** Scott Derrickson returns to horror: With the exception of DOCTOR STRANGE, filmmaker Scott Derrickson is mostly known for horror fare from the populist like THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE to the acclaimed SINISTER to the flawed but interesting DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
Derrickson's next film will be DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS described as the MCU's first horror film, and now he has confirmed that once he wraps that project he'll definitely be returning to the genre he knows best:
"I'm often asked if I'll ever return to R-rated horror. The answer is a resounding YES. After DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, I'll go straight into a horror film I've already written with [C. Robert Cargill]."
Cargill and Derrickson previously collaborated on SINISTER and DOCTOR STRANGE and Cargill followed that tweet up, confirming it's an adaptation of one of Joe Hill's books. Derrickson is also slated to tackle Stephen King's THE BREATHING METHOD for Blumhouse Pictures at some point. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** ANTLERS: In ANTLERS, a small-town Oregon teacher (Keri Russell) and her brother (Jesse Plemons), the local sheriff, discover that a young student (Jeremy T. Thomas) is harboring a dangerous secret with frightening consequences.
** GIRL ON THE THIRD FLOOR: Don Koch (Phil "CM Punk" Brooks) tries to renovate a rundown house with a sordid history for his growing family, only to learn that the house has other plans.
----- December 6, 2019 -----
** TRAIN TO BUSAN sequel: The hit zombie film, which scored critical acclaim and grossed just under $100 million worldwide from an $8.5 million budget is getting a sequel. Over a year ago the film's director Yeon Sang-ho confirmed a sequel was in the works and now The West News web site reports that Yeon is targeting a Summer 2020 release for the film.
Titled BANDO (translation: PENINSULA), the story will take place four years after the major outbreak and the action follows a group of survivors and their fight to escape the infected land. It's expected none of the actors from the first film will return. The project is separate from the James Wan-produced English language remake also currently in the works. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** FROM A BUICK 8: Actor Thomas Jane and producer Courtney Lauren Penn have formed the production company Renegade Entertainment and are planning a film adaptation of the 2002 Stephen King novel FROM A BUICK 8 as their first project. King will also produce.
The story centers around the rural town of Statler, Pennsylvania where the state police have kept a mysterious 1954 Buick Roadmaster in the shed behind the barracks for over twenty years. When the town is plagued by strange and supernatural events, it turns out the Buick isn't what it seems to be.
The late George A. Romero was once developing an adaptation of the property for Hyde Park Entertainment. This will mark the fourth King film involving Jane who appeared in film takes on. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETARY: The outrageous Italian shocker from The Godfather of Gore, Lucio Fulci is coming to Blu-ray as a 3-Disc Limited Edition 4K Restoration on January 21st.
A young family moves from their cramped New York City apartment to a spacious new home in New England. But this is no ordinary house in the country: the previous owner was the deranged Dr. Freudstein, whose monstrous human experiments have left a legacy of bloody mayhem. Now, someone - or something - is alive in the basement, and home sweet home is about to become a horrific hell on earth.
Disc 1 (Blu-ray) Feature Film + Extras
- NEW! Audio Commentary with Troy Howarth, Author of Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and His Films
- Deleted Scene
- Theatrical Trailers
- TV Spot
- Poster & Still Galleries
Disc 2 (Blu-ray) Extras:
- Meet the Boyles - Interviews with Stars Catriona MacColl and Paolo Malco
- Children of the Night - Interviews with Stars Giovanni Frezza and Silvia Collatina
- Tales of Laura Gittleson - Interview with Star Dagmar Lassander
- My Time With Terror - Interview with Star Carlo De Mejo
- A Haunted House Story - Interviews with Co-Writers Dardano Sacchetti and Elisa Briganti
- To Build a Better Death Trap - Interviews with Cinematographer Sergio Salvati, Special Make-Up - Effects Artist Maurizio Trani, Special Effects Artist Gino De Rossi, and Actor Giovanni De Nava
- NEW!House Quake - Interview with Co-Writer Giorgio Mariuzzo
- NEW! Catriona MacColl Q&A
- NEW! Calling Dr. Freudstein - Interview with Stephen Thrower, Author of Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci
Disc 3 (CD):
- THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Walter Rizzati
- BONUS! Collectable Booklet with new essay by Michael Gingold
----- December 4, 2019 -----
** IN FABRIC: A lonely woman (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), recently separated from her husband, visits a bewitching London department store in search of a dress that will transform her life. She's fitted with a perfectly flattering, artery-red gown—which, in time, will come to unleash a malevolent curse and unstoppable evil, threatening everyone who comes into its path.
** THE GRUDGE: In one month, experience real horror.
** FAMINE: For the first time on Blu-ray in the US: releases 12/17/19! Two years after a high-school prank that nearly killed popular teacher, Mr. Balszack, the graduating class tries to forget the incident and decides to hold a 24-hour "famine". It isn't long before students and staff start turning up dead at the hands of a killer masquerading as the school's mascot.
----- November 29, 2019 -----
** FANTASY ISLAND: Here's the International trailer for the upcoming film.
** MALIGANT: Director James Wan posted on Instagram a behind-the-scenes photo from his upcoming film.
----- November 26, 2019 -----
** THE LIGHTHOUSE: The film arrives on Digital December 20, On Demand January 7, and on Blu-ray (plus Digital) and DVD January 7 from Lionsgate. From Robert Eggers, the visionary filmmaker behind the modern horror masterpiece THE WITCH, comes this hypnotic and hallucinatory tale of two lighthouse keepers (Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson) on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s. As an approaching storm threatens to sweep them from the rock and strange apparitions emerge from the fog, each man begins to suspect that the other has become dangerously unmoored.
Blu-ray and DVD special features:
- "The Lighthouse: A Dark & Stormy Tale" Featurette
- Audio Commentary with Co-Writer & Director Robert Eggers
- Deleted Scenes
** THE WALKING DEAD WORLD BEYOND: The end of the world was their beginning. THE WALKING DEAD WORLD BEYOND debuts Spring 2020 on AMC.
** THE HEAD HUNTER: A medieval warrior's gruesome collection of heads is missing only one - the monster that killed his daughter years ago.
** SERVANT: Apple TV+ has greenlit SERVANT Season 2 of the M. Night Shyamalan-produced psychological thriller. The second season order comes ahead of the series' November 28 premiere, which will see three of its ten episodes premiere. (thanks to Comingsoon.net)
** FANTASY ISLAND: Here's the second poster for the upcoming film.
----- November 22, 2019 -----
** Another NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET remake: The estate of late filmmaker Wes Craven is reportedly actively taking pitches for a new take on Craven's own 1984 cinematic horror classic. The estate reportedly acquired U.S. rights to the film two months prior to the open season for pitches and the estate is apparently interested in not just feature film pitches but also ones for a potential HBO Max series.
SpectreVision founds and producers Elijah Wood and Daniel Noah recently expressed interest in having a go at the property with the help of their DANIEL ISN'T REAL filmmaker Adam Egypt Mortimer. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** Yet another THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE remake: Filmmaker Fede Alvarez and Rodolfo Sayagues' Bad Hombre production company are planning yet another remake, this time penned by Chris Thomas Devlin.
** NIGHTMARE ALLEY: According to the Deadline web site, MINDHUNTER star Holt McCallany has signed up for Guillermo Del Toro's upcoming film. NIGHTMARE ALLEY, written by del Toro and Kim Morgan, will be based on the novel of the same name by William Lindsay Gresham, previously adapted into a movie by Fox in 1947. The novel "follows the exploits of Stanton Carlisle, a ruthless hustler who learns the tricks of the carny trade and uses them to establish himself as a spiritual guru, preying on the wealthy and the weak." (thanks to ComingSoon.net)
** BLACK SUMMER: Netflix has ordered an eight-episode second season of zombie thriller, headlined by Jaime King. Production is slated to begin in 2020 in Alberta, Canada. King is set to return as Rose and also will serve as a producer for Season 2. Also coming back are Justin Chu Cary as Spears; Christine Lee as Kyungsun. (thanks to Deadline.com)
** ANTEBELLUM: In theaters April 24, 2020. Janelle Monáe, Marque Richardson II, Eric Lange, Jack Huston, Kiersey Clemons, Tongayi Chirisa, Gabourey Sidibe, Rob Aramayo, Lily Cowles, and Jena Malone.
----- November 19, 2019 -----
** Bong Joon-Ho returns to horror: In an interview with Variety, critically-acclaimed South Korean director Bong Joon Ho has revealed that he is currently developing two new projects with the first one as a Korean-language film which he describes as a mix of horror and action. The other one will be an English-language film which will be based on a true event. Both films will be very different from one another but both would be in the same scale as PARASITE and MOTHER.
"The Korean film is located in Seoul and has unique elements of horror and action. It's difficult to define the genre of my films." Bong said. "The English project is a drama film based on a true event that happened in 2016. Of course I won't know until I finish the script, but it has to be set half in the U.K. and half in the U.S." (thanks to ComingSoon.net)
** EVIL DEAD remake director is back: Director Fede Alvarez is set to helm a Washington, D.C. based horror film under a new overall deal with Legendary Pictures alongside Alvarez's writing partner Rodolfo Sayagues, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Through their Bad Hombre Films banner, Alvarez and Sayagues will create, develop, and produce films, with the D.C. horror serving as the first project. The untitled horror film is being described as THE SHINING set in The White House. Alvarez will likely direct the movie, which will be written by Joe Epstein. (thanks to ComingSoon.net)
** BLAIR WITCH: You asked, we listened - the terrifying BLAIR WITCH is coming to PlayStation 4! The game will be expanded with additional content in the form of the "Good Boy Pack", focused of course on our bestest doggo Bullet. Blair Witch is set to launch on PlayStation 4 on December 3rd, 2019 digitally .
----- November 18, 2019 -----
** BLACK CHRISTMAS remake: The film scored a PG-13 rating from the MPAA for "Violence, terror, thematic content involving sexual assault, language, sexual material and drinking."
The original 1974 film was essentially one of the very first slasher film (before HALLOWEEN popularised the genre) and follows an all-female sorority house which is being stalked by a crazed killer.
Indie film favorite Sophia Takal helms the new film which was co-written by film critic April Wolfe and is the first of the three BLACK CHRISTMAS films to not be an R-rated feature. Wolfe herself has taken to Twitter to defend the softer rating and confirms the project was originally going to be 'harder':
"Here's the deal: We wrote it with an R in mind. When they did the test screenings, [it] was clear that this movie needed to be available to a younger female audience because the subject matter is timely. Also I want to indoctrinate girls into horror. Doesn't make it any less vicious… If we can evangelize horror freakdom, we're doing our job.
Oh, and I know people are gonna use 'female empowerment' a lot surrounding Black Christmas. That's fine, but I really hate 'lady buzzwords' that lose meaning over time. And I'll never tell you you HAVE to see our movie to support women. See it if it piques your interest" (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** THE CONJURING and INSIDIOUS sequels: Actor Patrick Wilson talked with the Heat Vision web site. He recently wrapped filming on a third film in THE CONJURING franchise – reprising his role of paranormal investigator Ed Warren which he also played earlier this year in the spin-off ANNABELLE COMES HOME. James Wan only produces the new film with Michael Chaves taking the helm, but Wilson says one of the reasons it works is that it goes in a new direction for the series:
"I knew going into it that James had a real strong hand in the story and script, and I talked to him a lot about it. Then, once I met [director] Michael Chaves, his energy, his skillset and his passion for it was really infectious. I knew that he was gonna take the reins, both with great respect, but still as its own passion.
The process was fantastic, and it's a much different feel. It's still the same bones; it's still very much Ed and Lorraine. Again, we are pushing our characters to places they haven't gone, but the film will be a really nice addition because it's definitely a different beast. Pun intended. It was exciting; it was really, really exciting."
He was also asked about the possibility of a fifth INSIDIOUS film which his former co-star Lin Shaye teased earlier as being in very early development (with no script at this time). Wilson says he's open to returning but struggles to see the point of bringing his character Josh Lambert back:
"I see these people a lot, but there's no script or anything like that. I just don't know what you'd do, but I haven't talked specifically about anything… I don't know where you'd go. I don't know what you would do, but I never felt like it was closed. I just felt like for Josh Lambert, we've already seen him possessed and free of possession. There's not a whole lot for that guy to do anymore. I don't know where they would want to go with the series, but I never close any doors. There's no big red door that's closed." (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** THE GEORGETOWN PROJECT: Sam Worthington and David Hyde Pierce have scored the lead roles alongside Russell Crowe in THE GEORGETOWN PROJECT at Miramax. Crowe plays Anthony Miller, an actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) wonders if he's slipping back into his past addictions or if there's something more sinister at play.
Details of Worthington's and Pierce's roles are not known. Chloe Bailey, Tracey Bonner and Samantha Mathis co-star in the film which is being written and directed by Joshua John Miller and M.A. Fortin. Bill Block, Kevin Williamson and Ben Fast are producing. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** SERVANT: From M. Night Shyamalan, Servant follows a Philadelphia couple in mourning after an unspeakable tragedy creates a rift in their marriage and opens the door for a mysterious force to enter their home.
** THE GRUDGE: Directed by Nicolas Pesce, THE GRUDGE stars Andrea Riseborough, Demián Bichir, John Cho, Betty Gilpin with Lin Shaye and Jacki Weaver. With a screenplay by Nicolas Pesce and a story by Nicolas Pesce and Jeff Buhler.
----- November 12, 2019 -----
** FANTASY ISLAND: Here's the trailer for the upcoming horror remake of the famed TV series in which the enigmatic Mr. Roarke makes the secret dreams of his lucky guests come true at a luxurious but remote tropical resort. But when the fantasies turn into nightmares, the guests have to solve the island's mystery in order to escape with their lives.
** DOCTOR SLEEP: Following a decidedly softer than expected opening, the Stephen King adaptation DOCTOR SLEEP is reportedly on track to lose at least $20-30 million by the time it closes out its run reports the Deadline web site. Though the $50 million or so budgeted film scored good reviews, expectations were it would gross $25 million at the U.S. box-office in its opening weekend. Instead, it fell decidedly short at $14 million, and international isn't helping much either with a further $5.6 million added to the total.
As such, the film is expected to finish up its global run in a few weeks with an $80-100 million gross worldwide. In comparison to another recent King reboot, the PET SEMATARY film made over $112 million worldwide from a $21 million budget. That's not even beginning to compare to the fortune the IT films raked in.
Going into more specifics, the trade says the combined production budget, global P&A spend, participations, residuals, and global home entertainment costs of the film stand at $171 million while it will ultimately gross $149 million in global theatrical rentals, global free and pay TV, and global home entertainment (incl. streaming) deals.
Fingers are being pointed with the film's 2.5 hour runtime and lackluster marketing campaign being blamed, and the lack of name recognition compared to some of King's other more famous works. Also not helping are that teenagers, women and Hispanic audiences showed little interest. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** THE TOKOLOSHE: Busi, a young destitute woman with dangerously repressed emotions, lands a job as a cleaner at a rundown hospital in the heart of Johannesburg. Desperate for the money so she can bring her younger sister to join her, she must cope despite the predatory and corrupt hospital manager. When Busi discovers an abandoned young girl in the hospital, who believes she is tormented by a supernatural force, Busi must face her own demons from her past in order to save the child from the abusive monster that pursues them both relentlessly.
----- November 11, 2019 -----
** PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: Paramount Pictures has set a March 19th 2021 release date for the seventh installment in the franchise.
** THE SEVENTH DAY: Guy Pearce will lead the horror movie for director Justin P. Lange and producers Cinestate and Fangoria. The story follows a renowned exorcist who teams up with a rookie priest for his first day of training. As they plunge deeper into hell on earth, the lines between good and evil blur, and their own demons emerge. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** TREMORS ISLAND FURY: Just announced for this sequel are Jon Heder (NAPOLEON DYNAMITE), Richard Brake (THREE FROM HELL), Caroline Langrishe, and Jackie Cruz, who join series stalwart Michael Gross in the seventh installment of the B-movie franchise (not including the TV series and short films). (thanks to ComingSoon.net)
** THE CRAFT remake: Donald MacLean Jr. has joined the cast of the remake of 1996 film at Blumhouse, Red Wagon and Sony. Michelle Monaghan, David Duchovny, Cailee Spaeny, Gideon Adlon, Lovie Simone, Zoey Luna, Nicholas Galitzine and Julian Grey co-star
Zoe Lister-Jones helms the new take on the story of a newcomer at a high school who falls in with a trio of outcast teenage girls who practice witchcraft, and wage curses against those who tick them off. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** FANTASY ISLAND: Blumhouse Productions and Sony Pictures have revealed the first poster and synopsis for FANTASY ISLAND, a supernatural horror film adaptation of the classic ABC series of the same name.
In the film the Enigmatic Mr. Roarke (Michael Pena) makes the secret dreams of his lucky guests come true at a luxurious but remote tropical resort. But when the fantasies turn into nightmares, the guests have to solve the island's mystery in order to escape with their lives.
The project is said to tonally be a blend of WESTWORLD and THE CABIN IN TEH WOODS with the main cast being a group of contest winners who arrive at the island. Michael Rooker, Lucy Hale, Jimmy O. Yang, Charlotte McKinney, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Austin Stowell, Maggie Q, Portia Doubleday and Ryan Hansen co-star.
Jeff Wadlow helms the film from a script he penned with Chris Roach and Jillian Jacobs. Jason Blum produces the film with a first trailer expected to debut any day now. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
----- November 8, 2019 -----
** SCREAM reboot: Ignoring MTV's three-season TV adaptation of the franchise, it looks like the SCREAM film franchise is making a comeback with Spyglass Media Group reportedly developing a new film to bring the franchise back to its roots.
It's not clear if this will be a reboot or a continuation of the story of Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) from the previous four films. Kevin Williamson, who penned the first, second and fourth films, will apparently not be returning for the new one. The project will mark the second horror reboot Spyglass is developing, the other being a new take on HELLRAISER with David S. Goyer attached to pen the script. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** THE DUNWHICH HORROR: SpectreVision producers Elijah Wood and Daniel Noah are behind the upcoming Nic Cage-led COLOR OUT OF SPACE film based on the novella by famed horror author H.P. Lovecraft.
The pair have confirmed they are attempting to "build out a Lovecraft universe" with the help of COLOR OUT OF SPACE director and co-writer Richard Stanley. Noah says: "Hopefully there's enough of an appetite for these things, and we can keep them going and make at least three of them."
Noah and Wood also revealed that they are in the very early stages of developing the next one, THE DUNWHICH HORROR. That story revolved around a family of deformed types and a mysterious unseen presence in the farmhouse which seems to be growing. When the hideous young son is killed, the beast is unleashed to terrorize the poor aggrieved local village.
Wood and Noah, who are also behind the well-reviewed DANIEL ISN'T REAL opening next month from director Adam Egypt Mortimer, have also recently expressed interest in rebooting the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET franchise. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** THE INVISIBLE MAN: What you can't see can hurt you. Emmy winner Elisabeth Moss stars in a terrifying modern tale of obsession inspired by Universal's classic monster character.
----- November 7, 2019 -----
** COLOR OUT OF SPACE: After a meteorite lands in the front yard of their farm, Nathan Gardner (Nicolas Cage) and his family find themselves battling a mutant extraterrestrial organism as it infects their minds and bodies, transforming their quiet rural life into a living nightmare.
** SERVANT: Doubt what you believe. From M. Night Shyamalan, SERVANT follows a Philadelphia couple in mourning after an unspeakable tragedy creates a rift in their marriage and opens the door for a mysterious force to enter their home.
** HALLOWEEN KILLS: Filming on HALLOWEEN KILLS, the upcoming sequel to 2018's revival of the HALLOWEEN franchise, has officially wrapped after 36 days of production. Announced in June, Blumhouse got to work fast on the film which will now go into the post-production phase and potential additional filming at some point down the line.
While it was originally believed that the upcoming sequel was going to shoot back-to-back with the third film HALLOWEEN ENDS that is not the case and there will be a decent-sized gap between the shoots. David Gordon Green is back in the director's chair for both sequel. HALLOWEEN KILLS is scheduled to be released in the United States on October 16th 2020 with HALLOWEEN ENDS hitting October 15th 2021. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** REVENGE OF THE PONTIANAK: A newly married couple's life is shaken by the arrival of a vengeful Pontianak, forcing them down a dark path of betrayal, witchcraft and murder.
----- November 4, 2019 -----
** Clive Barker's BOOKS OF BLOOD: Veteran sci-fi TV producer Brannon Braga has set up a film adaptation of Clive Barker's horror anthology BOOKS OF BLOOD at Hulu and plans to make it his feature directorial debut. Anna Friel, Britt Robertson, Rafi Gavron, and Yul Vazquez will star in the film which will tell three uncanny tales tangled in space and time. Friel plays a psychologist who has gained fame as a skeptic. She loses her 7-year-old son to leukemia and then meets a charismatic young man (Gavron) who becomes her lover and convinces her that he speaks for her dead child.
Robertson plays a girl who suffers from misophonia (mania triggered by certain sounds) and sets out for Los Angeles. Vazquez plays a professional killer who's latest 'hit' clues him in on a priceless book that may allow him and his wife to permanently retire. Braga and Adam Simon will co-write and the pair will executive produce along with Barker, Seth MacFarlane, Erica Huggins, Alana Kleiman, Brian Witten, Jeff Kwatinetz and Josh Barry. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** THE DEVIL'S LIGHT: James Hawes (THE ALIENIST) will direct and Robert Zappia will pen the supernatural thriller THE DEVIL'S LIGHT for Gold Circle and Lionsgate. Filming begins early 2020. The story follows Sister Ann who believes performing exorcisms is her calling, but is at odds with an exorcism school's rules and eventually comes face to face with a demonic force that infests the school and has mysterious ties to her own past. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** HALLOWEEN KILLS: Jamie Lee Curtis has posted a first look behind-the-scenes video reel from HALLOWEEN KILLS, the upcoming sequel to last year's revival of the HALLOWEEN franchise. The project is the first of two back-to-back sequels that will continue and conclude Laurie Strode and Michael Myers' story. The clip offers a brief glimpse of Myers standing alive on the porch of Laurie's flaming house – indicating his escape from the fire in the previous film.
David Gordon Green returns to direct from a script co-written with Danny McBride and Scott Teems. Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Anthony Michael Hall, Dylan Arnold, Robert Longstreet, Kyle Richards, Charles Cyphers, and Nancy Stephens star. HALLOWEEN KILLS" opens October 16th 2020. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** AAMIS: A young graduate student, played by newcomer Arghadeep Baruah, in the northeastern Indian state of Assam falls in love with an older married doctor (Lima Das), but their passion remains chaste apart from a series of increasingly intimate meals. When the young man comes up with a uniquely disquieting way of getting the kind of closeness he craves but cannot have, their forbidden romance takes a gruesome turn.
** PSYCHO: Director Mysskin teams up with leading man Udhayanidhi Stalin and legendary composer Ilayaraja to deliver a very bloody looking psycho thriller that has a really great looking teaser.
----- October 31, 2019 -----
Happy Halloween!
** CREEPSHOW TV series: Shudder has renewed Greg Nicotero's horror anthology series, based on the Stephen King and George A. Romero classic, for a second season, Slash Film has confirmed. (thanks to ComingSoon.net)
** WALLY'S WONDERLAND: Nicolas Cage is set to star in THE DROP director Kevin Lewis' WALLY'S WONDERLAND, a genre film that sounds like a take on the premise of the video game FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S.
Cage will play a janitor, forced to spend the night in a twisted amusement park where he is pulled into a living nightmare as the threatening animatronic characters come to life. Cage's janitor has to fight his way from one monster to another to survive until morning and get out of the park.
G.O. Parsons penned the script while Cage, Grant Cramer, Jeremy Davis and Danny Roth and Mike Nilon will produce. Landafar Entertainment, JD Entertainment, Saturn Films, Almost Never Films & Screen Media Ventures are backing the project which will shoot in January. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** DARK ARMY: Director Paul Feig is keen to return to the genre and will do so soon with the full-on monster horror film at Universal Pictures. After the collapse of the Dark Universe initiative which attempted to combine the classic Universal Monsters films like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, etc. into a massive shared universe, the studio has abandoned that idea for smaller budgeted but more interesting projects like Leigh Whannell's already shot THE INVISIBLE MAN.
DARK ARMY is one of those projects and is said to be in line with classic Universal Monsters films rather than modern jump-scare horror films. Speaking about his aims for the project, Feig tells Coming Soon this week:
"Horror movies to me now represent slasher and that kind of thing, which I don't enjoy at all. I loved those old movies like FRANKENSTEIN, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN is probably one of the greatest movies of all-time. I love that movie so much, and there are some things from that movie that I'm using in this new movie DARK ARMY.
But I really want to do a James Whale-ish, modern-day version of a monster movie that is about these characters. What I love about monsters is they're outsiders, it's just the most extreme version of outsiders. Frankenstein is one of the most sympathetic characters ever to be put on the screen, even though he does terrible things. He's just looking for acceptance and love…I want to bring that ookie spooky feel back to movies, but with these monsters, you root for and understand at the same time."
Feig also confirms he's finished the first draft of the script and turned it into the studio who loved it, now it has to get the green light from the higher-ups. Feig hopes to make the film as soon as he can should it be given the go-ahead. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
----- October 30, 2019 -----
** THE BLOB: Here's the cover for the upcoming Scream Factory release.
** LAST NIGHT IN SOHO: In an interview with Empire, writer-director Edgar Wright has revealed the first details on his upcoming horror film, giving us a much better idea on what to expect for the film's plot. He also confirmed that the movie will be set in the 1960s' London with Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy set as leads.
"There's something I have in common with the lead character in that I'm afflicted with nostalgia for a decade I didn't live in," Wright said in his interview with the outlet. "You think about '60s London – what would that be like? Imagine if you knew everything you knew now, and went back. I'm taking a premise whereby you have a character who, in a sort of abstract way, gets to travel in time. And the reality of the decade is maybe not what she imagines. It has an element of 'be careful what you wish for'."
"I realised I had never made a film about central London – specifically Soho, somewhere I've spent a huge amount of time in the last 25 years," Wright told Empire about the movie. "With HOT FUZZ and SHAUN OF THE DEAD, you make movies about places you've lived in. This movie is about the London I've existed in." (thanks to ComingSoon.net)
** DRACULA: Coming out on 11/26/19 from Scream Factory. Here's the extras revealed for the upcoming Collector's Edition release of DRACULA (1979)!
Disc one: Desaturated color timing
- NEW Introduction By Director John Badham
- NEW King Of My Kind – An Interview With John Badham
- NEW What Sad Music – An Interview With Writer W.D. Richter
- NEW Dracula's Guest – An Interview With Camera Assistant Jim Alloway
- NEW Interview With Editor John Bloom
- NEW Interview With Make-Up Artist Peter Robb-King
- NEW Interview With Hair Stylist Colin Jamison
- NEW Interview With Assistant Director Anthony Waye
- NEW Interview With Production Manager Hugh Harlow
- Audio Commentary With Director John Badham
The Revamping Of Dracula Featurette
Disc two: Original theatrical color timing
- NEW 4K Scan Of The Best Available Original Film Elements
- NEW Introduction By Director John Badham
- NEW Audio Commentary By Film Historian/Filmmaker Constantine Nasr
- Theatrical Trailer
- Radio Spots
- Still Gallery
** The LaLauraurie Mansion: From the creators of THE CONJURING franchise, Chad and Carey Hayes, and Faster Horse Pictures' Cindy Bond and Doug McKay in tandem with Michael Whalen, a team with experience working on THE ZODIAK, SHUTTER ISLAND and THE BLACK SWAN, comes a new horror film franchise based on the infamous house and property known as The LaLaurie Mansion – one of the most haunted houses in the world. Despite there being no public access inside the property since 1932 (for a reason!), thousands of people travel to New Orleans each year just to get a roadside glimpse of the notorious home. It has captured the imagination and curiosity of everyone who's heard its disturbing story.
The stories will unfold in multiple installments covering the history of the house from recent horrific events of modern day all the way back to the terrifying origins of the house's history and its crazed owner, Madame Delphine LaLaurie. Though well known in popular culture the infamous Madame LaLaurie has never been given the detailed, extensive deep dive that this film has planned, including the exclusive right to the home itself.
----- October 29, 2019 -----
** THE GRUDGE reboot: Set in the United States, the movie follows a detective (Andrea Riseborough) who investigates a serious of suspicious deaths all stemming from one house. The 2020 reboot also stars John Cho, Andrea Riseborough, Betty Gilpin, Lin Shaye and Demian Bichir.
** LITTLE JOE: The film follows Alice (Emily Beecham), a single mother and dedicated senior plant breeder at a corporation engaged in developing new species. She has engineered a special crimson flower, remarkable not only for its beauty but also for its therapeutic value: if kept at the ideal temperature, fed properly and spoken to regularly, this plant makes its owner happy. Against company policy, Alice takes one home as a gift for her teenage son, Joe. They christen it 'Little Joe.' But as their plant grows, so too does Alice's suspicion that her new creation may not be as harmless as its nickname suggests.
** DRACULA: From the makers of SHERLOCK, Claes Bang stars as Dracula in this brand new mini-series inspired by Bram Stoker's classic novel.
----- October 28, 2019 -----
** IT CHAPTER TWO: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced the home video release of IT CHAPTER TWO which will arrive on Digital HD on November 19th followed by a 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD debut on December 10th. Sadly there are no deleted/extended scenes on this initial release or any mention of director Andy Muschietti's previously discussed extended director's cut of both films. The 4K UHD release will come with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
** WELCOME TO THE CIRCLE: Trapped in a maze of demented mind games and deadly supernatural rituals, their only chance of survival seems an impossible task: Escape The Circle.
** THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC: Kimo Stamboel, one half of Indonesian directing duo The Mo Brothers (MACABRE) directs this remake of classic Indonesian horror film THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC (RATU ILMU HITAM) from a script by Joko Anwar (SATAN'S SLAVES).
----- October 26, 2019 -----
** PET SEMETARY
Dr. Louis Creed and his wife, Rachel, relocate from Boston to rural Maine with their two young children. The couple soon discover a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home.
An unnecessary remake that relies mostly on the original film and cheap scares.
The Blu-ray edition comes with a digital code (available in the US only). The film was shot digitaly and it looks superb in its original 2.39:1 (16x9) 1080p high definition transfer using a MPEG-4 AVC codec. There are various audio tracks available including English Dolby Atmos, English Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit), German, Spanish, French, French (Canadian), Italian and Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1. There are English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish subtitles available.
This edition has two discs. The first one is the Blu-ray disc with the film and lots of extras including an all new alternate ending, seven deleted and extended scenes and more for a total of about 90 minutes of bonus content. The second disc is a DVD with the film. It comes with a slipcover case.
Our copy was provided by Paramount Pictures.
----- October 24, 2019 -----
** ANTLERS: In ANTLERS, a small-town Oregon teacher (Keri Russell) and her brother (Jesse Plemons), the local sheriff, discover that a young student (Jeremy T. Thomas) is harboring a dangerous secret with frightening consequences.
** SEANCE: Dark Castle Entertainment, HanWay Films and Ingenious Media are partnering on horror film with Suki Waterhouse set to star in the film which serves as YOU'RE NEXT scribe Simon Barrett's directing debut.
Set in an all-girls boarding school haunted by a vengeful spirit, Waterhouse plays Camille, a young woman who arrives at the Fairfield Academy following one of the student's untimely and violent death. The film is in pre-production and will begin to shoot on location in Canada in November. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** MAKING MONSTERS: When a celebrity couple famed for their YouTube scare-prank channel are invited to a friend's converted church in the countryside for a weekend getaway, a series of startling events unfold that spiral them into an inexplicable nightmare.
----- October 23, 2019 -----
** MALIGNANT: Filmmaker James Wan's horror film has set an August 14th release date with New Line to release the Atomic Monster film on that date. Production is currently underway in Los Angeles. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** ARMY OF THE DEAD: Zack Snyder has used his choice of social media platform, Vero, to announce that his Netflix zombie heist movie has wrapped filming. Dave Bautista leads the cast of the film which begins after a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas. A group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble, venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted.
Hiroyuki Sanada, Garret Dillahunt, Raul Castillo, Omari Hardwick, Chris D'Elia, Nora Arnezeder, Matthias Schweighofer, Samantha Win and Rich Cetrone star while Joby Harold and Shay Hatten penned the script. The budget is rumored to be in the $70-90 million range. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** CREEPSHOW TV series: The TV series is setting records for AMC's Shudder. Since its September 26 premiere, 54% of all members on Shudder's direct-to-consumer platforms have viewed an episode of the anthology series according to the premium streaming service.
Additionally, Shudder says the first episode had more minutes streamed in its opening weekend (September 26-29) than any title in the service's history. The first week of the anthology series also set a record for total minutes streamed on the service and is bringing in record numbers of new members, according to Shudder. (thanks to Deadline.com)
** THE GRUDGE reboot: Here's a new poster for the upcoming film which, will hit theaters on January 3rd, 2020, from Sony and Screen Gems.
----- October 22, 2019 -----
** RABID remake: Here's the poster and trailer for the upcoming remake.
** Fabrice du Welz's ADORATION: From the director of CALVAIRE (THE ORDEAL).
** THE FARE: When a charming woman named Penny climbs into his taxi, Harris finds himself entranced. That is, right up until she disappears from the back seat without a trace. As he desperately tries to make sense of what happened, he resets his meter and is instantly brought back to the moment she first climbed into his cab. He and Penny find themselves trapped in an endlessly looping ride that changes their lives forever.
** RED LETTER DAY: While adjusting to a new life in a quiet suburban community, a recently divorced mother and her two teens receive mysterious red letters instructing them each to kill or be killed. As the bloodshed begins, they find themselves in a race against time to protect the ones they love from the people they thought they knew.
** DEERSKIN: A man's obsession with his designer deerskin jacket causes him to blow his life savings and turn to crime.
----- October 21, 2019 -----
** Sam Raimi's untitled horror film: Sam Raimi and Sony Pictures are teaming for a currently untitled horror film which hails from FRIDAY THE 13TH reboot writers Mark Swift and Damian Shannon. The project is dubbed a blend of Stephen King's MISERY meets the Zemeckis/Hanks 2000 survivalist drama CAST AWAY, but plot specifics are under wraps.
Raimi will direct and produce with Zainab Azizi also producing. The project would mark Raimi's first horror feature in a decade – his last one being 2009's DRAG ME TO HELL. Raimi previously worked with Shannon and Swift on a long-in-development Bermuda Triangle project which is currently at Skydance. Raimi recently produced Alexandre Aja's very well received CRAWL which hit home video this week. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** TRICK: On Halloween night in 2015, Patrick "Trick" Weaver massacred his classmates at a costume party. After being arrested, he managed to escape police custody, but not before being shot five times by Detective Mike Denver. Everyone believes Trick must be dead, but when a masked killer reappears the following Halloween, and every Halloween after that, they realize the nightmare is not over. With Trick wreaking havoc and killing people in increasingly terrifying ways, Denver will stop at nothing to finish what he started and bring the carnage to an end
** Stephen King's THE OUTSIDER: An eleven-year-old boy's violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City's most popular citizens. He is Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad.
As the investigation expands and horrifying answers begin to emerge, King's propulsive story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer comes, it will shock you as only Stephen King can.
** ESCAPE ROOM 2: Holland Roden, Indya Moore, Thomas Cocquerel, Carlito Olivero will join Isabelle Fuhrman and returnees Taylor Russell and Logan Miller in the upcoming ESCAPE ROOM sequel for Sony Pictures. Adam Robitel is on board to direct the psychological thriller followup, which was penned by Bragi F. Schut. The sequel's plot is under wraps and the film is slated to open August 2020. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** ZOMBIELAND DOUBLE TAP: Sony's new horror comedy delivered on the high end of industry expectations, bringing in an estimated $26.7 million for the three-day weekend. Notable in this day and age, it also debuted higher than its predecessor, as it outperformed the $24.7 million opening for ZOMBIELAND. Of course, given that film opened ten years ago it isn't exactly an apples-to-apples comparison. The film received a "B+" CinemaScore from opening day audiences and played to a crowd that was 57% male — which is almost the exact opposite compared to the first film — and 56% of the overall audience was aged 25+.
Internationally, ZOMBIELAND DOUBLE TAP debuted in one market last weekend and is now playing in 17 overseas markets where it grossed $5 million this weekend for a cume that currently stands at $5.3 million. The UK led all markets with a $1.7 million performance this weekend followed by Australia with a $1.3 million debut. Looking ahead, the film will open in Russia, Brazil and Mexico next weekend followed by openings in France (Oct 30), Germany (Nov 7), South Korea (Nov 13), Italy (Nov 14) and Japan (Nov 22). (thanks to BoxOfficeMojo.com)
----- October 18, 2019 -----
** CRAWL
While attempting to save her father during a category 5 hurricane, a young woman finds herself trapped in a flooding house and must fight for her life against alligators.
A fun yet predictable killer creature flick from the director of High Tension. Plus one for the casting of the beautiful Kaya Scodelario.
The Blu-ray edition comes with a digital code (available in the US only). It feature a 2.39:1 (16x9) 1080p high definition transfer using a MPEG-4 AVC codec. The film looks great with rich black and great color saturation. We get a very good English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track (48kHz, 24-bit) but nothing spectacular especially since sometimes the dialogues are actually left behind in the mix and we barely understand what the actors are saying. There are also Spanish, French, Japanese, Potuguese and Thai Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks along with multiples subtitles such as English, English SDH, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Cantonese, Hindi, Korean, Malay, Mandarin (Simplified) and Thai.
This edition has two discs. The first one is the Blu-ray disc with the film and bonus bites such as an all new motion comic of alternate opening along with deleted and extended scenes for a total of over 45 minutes of bonus content, impressive! The second disc is a DVD with the film. It comes with a slipcover case.
Our copy was provided by Paramount Pictures.
----- October 17, 2019 -----
** NIGHT OF THE CREEPS 2: Writer-director Fred Dekker recently talked about the possibility of a sequel with the original cast: "I would like to see Detective Ray Cameron become resurrected somehow. And Fred Dekker and I, every time we see each other, we talk about that. And he's determined to do a sequel with the three kids and myself. I mean they're no longer kids, they're all in their 50's, but they're all still kicking and healthy and looking good. I would love to do that again. I love Detective Ray Cameron." (thanks to JoBlo.com)
** THE CRAFT remake: X-FILES actor David Duchovny has joined the upcoming remake of for Blumhouse, Red Wagon Entertainment and Sony Pictures. Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, Christine Taylor, Rachel True, and Skeet Ulrich starred in the original about a newcomer at a Catholic prep high school who falls in with a trio of outcast teenage girls who practice witchcraft, and wage curses against those who tick them off.
** The original 1996 feature lead to a wave of young female empowerment meets witch-themed other works. The new take will star Cailee Spaeny, Gideon Adlon, Lovie Simone, Zoey Luna and Nicholas Galitzin. Zoe Lister-Jones is writing, directing, and executive producing the new version while Jason Blum, Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher are producing. Andrew Fleming, who directed and co-wrote the original film, is executive producing. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** THE SHED: Stan and his best friend Dommer have put up with bullies their entire lives. All of that changes when Stan discovers he has a murderous vampire living in his shed. Seeing the bloodshed and destruction the monster is capable of, Stan knows he has to find a way to destroy it. But Dommer has a much more sinister plan in mind.
** THE LIGHTHOUSE: Here's the latest poster for the new film from the director of THE WITCH.
----- October 16, 2019 -----
** Stephen King's THE STAND: Heather Graham has joined the cast of CBS All Access' upcoming event series adaptation of Stephen King's THE STAND. Graham will play Rita Blakemoor, a wealthy woman who is ill-prepared for the end of the world and attempts to escape superflu-infested New York City. Graham joins previously announced cast like James Marsden, Amber Heard, Odessa Young, Jovan Adepo, Owen Teague, Henry Zaga, Brad William Henke, Eion Bailey, Katherine McNamara, Hamish Linklater, Alexander Skarsgard and Whoopi Goldberg. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** MOST EVIL: Daniel Robbins has signed on to direct the horror tale at Orion Pictures. Benjamin and Paul China are penning the script while Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Fred Berger will produce. The story follows a group of twentysomethings who take a business tycoon's daughter hostage in a failed robbery attempt and realize they're in over their heads when the girl turns out to not be as innocent as she appears. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** RATTLESNAKE: The story follows a mother and daughter on a cross-country road trip. When her daughter is bitten by a rattlesnake, the mother finds herself taking an unthinkable deal to try and save her daughter's life.
** UNDERWATER: Here's the new poster for the upcoming film starring Kristen Stewart, Jessica Henwick, T.J. Miller, Vincent Cassel, and John Gallagher Jr. with the film opening January 10th.
----- October 14, 2019 -----
** MANIAC COP remake: According to the Deadline web site, HBO has given a series order for Nicolas Winding Refn's upcoming reboot of MANIAC COP, based on William Lustig's 1988 cult classic film. Refn will serve as an executive producer through his byNWR Originals banner along with John Hyams.
"I've always been a devoted admirer of John Hyams," Refn said. "We've been talking about a re-imagining of the MANIAC COP films for a number of years, but as we continued to work on the material, we found ourselves wanting to explore the world we were creating in greater depth. Turning MANIAC COP into a series will allow us to realize our wildest ambitions and to reach an enormous audience though partners HBO and Canal+. This show will be an unadulterated, action-packed horror odyssey. Given the current state of the world, though, MANIAC COP will also be a strong commentary on the decline of civilization". (thanks to ComingSoon.net)
** DANIEL ISN'T REAL: Troubled college freshman Luke suffers a violent family trauma and resurrects his childhood imaginary friend Daniel to help him cope. Charismatic and full of manic energy, Daniel helps Luke to achieve his dreams, before pushing him to the very edge of sanity and into a desperate struggle for control of his mind -- and his soul.
** EXTRA ORDINARY: The film tells the story of Rose, a sweet and lonely small town driving instructor who must use her supernatural 'talent' to save the daughter of a local man from a washed up rock-star looking to use her in a satanic pact that will reignite his fame.
** THE VAST OF NIGHT: Set at the dawn of the space-race, the film takes place over the course of one night in 1950s New Mexico where a young switchboard operator and a radio DJ uncover a strange frequency that could change their lives, their small town, and all of Earth… forever.
----- October 11, 2019 -----
** THE BLACK OCTOPUS: Here's the teaser for EL PULPO NEGRO, the upcoming Spanish language miniseries.
** TENNESSEE GOTHIC: When a dim-witted widower and his teenage son offer a beautiful young woman refuge on their farm, their living situation escalates from hysterical comedy to maddening horror once they discover she's not who she says she is.
** CASTLE ROCK: Hulu has released a new poster season 2 of their Stephen King series CASTLE ROCK, featuring Lizzy Caplan as one of King's iconic characters Annie Wilkes. The series is scheduled to return on Wednesday, October 23, exclusively on Hulu. (thanks to ComingSoon.net)
----- October 10, 2019 -----
** DOCTOR SLEEP: Here's the new poster for the upcoming sequel to THE SHINING.
** THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE: Here's the deluxe limited edition steelbook with the exclusive action figure, which will be out January 21st! Order from ShoutFactory.com. Limited to 2,000 copies.
** THE GRUDGE remake reboot: Sony Pictures has premiered the first poster for THE GRUDGE, the reboot of the American remake of the famed Japanese supernatural horror series. Lin Shaye, Demian Bichir, Andrea Riseborough, John Cho, Betty Gilpin, Jacki Weaver and Frankie Faison co-star in the film opening January 3rd. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** DAYBREAK: So what's life like in the apocalypse? It's never what you'd expect. Find your tribe, grab your swords, and get ready to take on some Ghoulies. DAYBREAK comes to Netflix on October 24.
** HALLOWEEN KILLS: Here's some behind-the-scenes photos from the upcoming film.
----- October 8, 2019 -----
** Park Chan-wook's THE AX: Celebrated Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook has set the comedy horror film THE AX as his next project. The film is a remake of Greek-French director Costa Gavras' 2005 film of the same name based on a novel by Donald Westlake.
The story follows a chemist who is made redundant due to outsourcing. Two years later and still unemployed, he devises a solution – to genuinely eliminate his competition. The project would follow on from Park's 2016 erotic thriller THE HANDMAIDEN and the espionage-themed John le Carre mini-series adaptation THE LITTLE DRUMMER GIRL last year.
Speaking in Busan on Sunday, Park said: "I've not yet started filming, but I wish to make this film as my masterpiece. I want to remake this French-language film into an English-language one, and Gavras and his wife have the filming rights, and they are producers of my project. I've been working with Gavras family for years." (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** ZOMBIELAND DOUBLE TAP: A decade after Zombieland became a hit film and a cult classic, the lead cast (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, and Emma Stone) have reunited with director Ruben Fleischer and the original writers Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick. In the sequel, written by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick and Dave Callaham, through comic mayhem that stretches from the White House and through the heartland, these four slayers must face off against the many new kinds of zombies that have evolved since the first movie, as well as some new human survivors. But most of all, they have to face the growing pains of their own snarky, makeshift family.
** ELI: As a last resort to cure their son's auto-immune disorder, the Millers move into a sterile manor during his treatments. Eli is tormented by terrifying visions — deemed hallucinations — but something sinister may lurk within these walls.
** SPUTNIK: Here's the trailer for the upcoming horror sci-fi flick.
** PORTALS: Created by Chris White, the film is set around a series of worldwide blackouts — after which millions of mysterious cosmic anomalies appear everywhere across the planet. While many flee from the sentient objects, some people are drawn toward — and into — them with horrifying consequences.
----- October 7, 2019 -----
** Bong Joon-ho returns to horror: With his darkly comic thriller PARASITE not only scoring some of the year's best reviews but winning the Palme D'or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, it's a great time to be Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho.
As the film continues to garner serious awards buzz ahead of its U.S. theatrical release next week, the MEMORIES OF MURDER and THE HOST helmer sat down with the Collider web site this week and teased that he's already planning his next directorial efforts with two more films already planned – a Korean horror movie and an English-language, true story-inspired drama:
"I had a great time working on PARASITE so I want to work on films on the scale of PARASITE and MOTHER, one in Korean and one in English. The Korean project is kind of like a horror film. Of course, I'm working on it so the genres will all be mixed but if you had to choose one genre it would be along the lines of horror. And for the English project, it began with a news article I randomly came across on CNN in 2016. It's a small realistic drama piece."
Bong also shared more details on the horror project during a Q&A at the University of Texas last week, at that time saying: "I don't know if you can call it horror, because in all my films the genre is ambiguous. But if you have to describe it, it's 'horror-action' and a disaster that happens in Seoul. I've had this idea since 2001, so I've been developing it for 18 years, and now I have an obsession. I really do have to shoot this movie… To give you one hint, it's not a film you can shoot in NYC or Chicago: it only works if all the pedestrians on the street have the same skin tone." (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** ARMY OF THE DEAD: In a recent interview with WMMR, director Zack Snyder has confirmed the release date of his upcoming feature ARMY OF THE DEAD, revealing that the zombie apocalypse movie is expected to debut next winter, exclusively on Netflix. Snyder has also shared more details on the film, further explaining its plot and setting.
"The movie takes place in Las Vegas," Snyder said. "A zombie plague hits Vegas, and they're able to contain the virus to the city – they build a wall out of shipping containers. And then the city falls. And six years later, one of the casino owners hires this group of zombie soldiers to go get his money that he left in a safe in the casino." (thanks to ComingSoon.net)
** ESCAPE ROOM sequel: ORPHAN star Isabelle Fuhrman has been tapped to join in Sony Pictures' upcoming sequel, a follow-up to this year's psychological horror film ESCAPE ROOM. Fuhrman will be joining original cast members Taylor Russell and Logan Miller, who are set to reprise their roles as Zoey and Ben, respectively. (thanks to ComingSoon.net)
** THE WALKING DEAD UNIVERSE: Get a first look at a new series from the world of THE WALKING DEAD. Coming Spring 2020.
----- October 3rd, 2019 -----
** THE COLLECTED: After seven long years of waiting, THE COLLECTOR franchise is finally returning with the upcoming threequel THE COLLECTED, which is coming along together quickly as the original writers and director Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton have been sharing behind-the-scenes photos of the antagonist, and now returning star Josh Stewart has taken to Twitter to show off his return as Arkin! (thanks to ComingSoon.net)
** 10-31: According to Variety, HOSTEL and CABIN FEVER director Eli Roth is set to produce the horror film 10-31 for Orion Pictures. The film hails from Office Uprising screenwriters Ian Shorr and Peter Gamble, who based their script on a short story written by Laurie Ashbroune and Kathy Charles.
The films follows a young woman who takes her niece and nephew trick-or-treating and discovers a note inside a candy wrapper that says there's a killer loose on her block. (thanks to ComingSoon.net)
** HELL HOUSE: According to the Deadline web site, Stefanie Scott, Odessa Adlon, and Jess Weixler have joined the indie thriller from director Andrew Gori. Per the report, the story follows "the complicated relationship between small town high school peers Dawn and Makayla in the Deep South, on the eve of a religious-themed Halloween attraction or 'hell house' grand opening, and the various townspeople who try to keep the two apart, with disastrous results." (thanks to ComingSoon.net)
** SLAUGHTERHOUSE SLUMBER PARTY: What started as the debauched annual slumber party for a tight knit group of gal pals becomes a fight for their lives when supernatural evil threatens to destroy the world–and even worse, ruin the one night of the year the ladies get to have a nude pillow fight. Trapped by magic, surrounded by evil, and very underdressed, will they survive the night? Or will this slumber party become a slaughterhouse?
----- October 1st, 2019 -----
** STRANGER THINGS 4: We're not in Hawkins anymore.
** Arrow Video US - October 2019 releases: On October 1st, the month's first release comes in the form of THE PREY. This early '80s effort about a group of teens attacked by a disfigured killer while camping in the Rocky Mountains has been languishing on VHS for over thirty years. Arrow has rescued this cult classic, presenting it with a brand new 2K restoration and 3 different cuts. Slasher enthusiasts everywhere are going to want this one immediately.
Director Giulio Berruti's KILLER NUN is one of the holiest of sisters that make up the loving and gratuitously crude community that is nunsploitation. Anita Ekberg stars as Sister Gertrude, a nun lured into the world of drugs and perversion. This cult classic and "video nasty" comes to Blu-ray with a new 2K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative that shines this sleaze up quite nicely. The film hits shelves on October 15th.
The month comes to the close with 4 must-have releases on October 29th. Leading the way, and just in time for Halloween, is the John Landis classic AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON. In what is arguably the greatest werewolf movie ever made, David Naughton stars as an American tourist attacked by a vicious creature while hiking in the Yorkshire Moors. The jaw-dropping, Oscar-winning special effects from the legendary Rick Baker are restored in 4K using the original camera negative and approved by Landis. This release comes with so many special features you'll need a whole lot of big teeth to chew on them all.
Hideo Nakata almost single-handedly helped launch the J-Horror boom in the late '90s with RINGU, the film Sight & Sound called a "timeless terror". Now fans can own this creepy flick about the cursed VHS tape with a brand new 4K restoration approved by DP Junichiro Hayashi. If one VHS tape isn't enough to quench your thirst for technological terror, then the RINGU Collection may be more your speed. This boxset includes the original film alongside the sequel RINGU 2, the eerie origin story RINGU 0, and the "lost sequel", Jôji Iida's RASEN - also known as THE SPIRAL.
** HALLOWEEN KILLS: Actress Nancy Stephens' Nurse Marion Chambers will be back. She first appeared in the original film as she and Dr. Loomis head to Smith's Grove to check in on infamous antagonist Michael Myers, nearly being killed by the man as the two investigate the chaos of a group of patients lingering around the outside gates in the rain. She would return for the first sequel HALLOWEEN II. (thanks to ComingSoon.net)
