Shawn M. Warner’s novel Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor (pick up a copy HERE) was published by Black Rose Writing back in November of 2022, and now Deadline reports that Stars Collective has secured the rights to explore film and TV adaptations of the story.
Deadline notes that Leigh Howard is described as “R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps meets Nancy Drew,” and tells the tale of a teenage girl who teams up with a ghost with multiple personalities to solve the mystery of her parents’ murder. Here’s more information: Leigh’s life has been ripped apart. Orphaned, she goes to live with incredibly wealthy relatives she never knew she had. Struggling to fit into her new world, she can’t let go of her grief. When the police tell her the investigation into her parents’ murder has hit a brick wall, she knows the only way she will ever know peace is to solve the mystery herself. With new family and friends, which includes a ghost with multiple personality issues, Leigh risks everything to find her answers. Join Leigh on her adventure through the brutal world of organized crime and betrayal.
The site also mentions that Warner was an Army paratrooper before he became an author and “was thrust into the spotlight last year when a single TikTok video, depicting him signing copies of the book outside a Fort Worth, Texas grocery store and explaining its premise, went viral, garnering over 25 million views plus over 3 million likes and sending sales skyrocketing. In July 2023, the novel was the #1 Bestseller on Amazon Books, and the story was being covered in the national media by the likes of The Today Show. Ironically, Warner didn’t even have a TikTok account when word began spreading about his book, so it was his daughter that broke the news to him.” I missed out on this viral sensation when it was happening… which is no surprise, because I never look at TikTok.
Warner is currently working on a Leigh Howard sequel, so this property has franchise potential for Stars Collective. His next book, set to be published later this year, is Homeland Insecurity, “about a group of teens getting caught in the crosshairs of an international terrorist.”
Stars Collective founder Peter Luo provided the following statement: “Leigh Howard is a masterfully written and astutely crafted story that extends seamlessly into a four quadrant franchise for film and TV. Our intent is to tell epic stories on screen and help expand this universe alongside Shawn.“
Co-CEO Nancy Xu added: “The phenomenon of this novel is real and there is palpable passion and affinity underpinning the virality. We’re attracted to strong IP that has universal appeal and Leigh Howard has proven that it resonates with audiences around the world who would love to see versions played out in a movie or TV series.“
And Warner said, “We are excited to collaborate with Stars Collective to bring Leigh Howard into a media production where audiences can participate in the hijinks and sleuthing of Leigh as she partners with a ghost with multiple personalities to solve the mystery of her parents’ murder.“
Have you read Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor? What do you think of the story getting the film and/or TV treatment? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
The sci-fi horror film M3GAN (watch it HERE) was a box office success when it was released last year, earning $181 million at the global box office on a budget of $12 million and spawning a sequel that is set to reach theatres in May of 2025. A lot of people had fun replicating the AI doll’s dance moves on TikTok… but how many people are such big fans of M3GAN that they’d be willing to spend $495 to buy a life-size replica of the doll? The collectible makers at NECA are about to find out, because they have created life-size replicas of M3GAN and are selling them for $494.99. You can check out the product page (and put in a pre-order, if you want to own a M3GAN) at THIS LINK. M3GANs will start shipping out by the end of the year.
Based on a story crafted by produced James Wan, M3GAN was directed by Gerard Johnstone from a screenplay by Akela Cooper (Malignant). The film has the following synopsis: M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a life-like doll programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. Designed by brilliant toy-company roboticist Gemma, M3GAN can listen and watch and learn as she becomes friend and teacher, playmate and protector, for the child she is bonded to. When Gemma suddenly becomes the caretaker of her orphaned 8-year-old niece, Cady, Gemma’s unsure and unprepared to be a parent. Under intense pressure at work, Gemma decides to pair her M3GAN prototype with Cady in an attempt to resolve both problems — a decision that will have unimaginable consequences.
The film starred Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Jen Van Epps, Lori Dungey, and Stephane Garneau-Monten star. Williams and McGraw are expected to return for M3GAN 2.0, which will also be directed by Johnstone.
A collaboration between Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, and Atomic Monster, in association with Divide/Conquer, M3GAN was produced by Wan and Jason Blum. Williams served as executive producer alongside Mark Katchur, Ryan Turek, Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Adam Hendricks, and Greg Gilreath.
Here’s how NECA describes their life-size replicas: Own a fully posable, life-size replica of the robot doll from the hit film M3GAN. The Model 3 Generative Android (M3GAN) was designed to be a parent’s greatest ally and programmed to be a child’s best friend… but a self-aware doll with a life of its own can lead to sinister consequences. This 1:1 replica is based on M3GAN’s on-screen appearance, duplicated from actual film-used digital files to be the most screen-accurate representation available. It has an articulated inner-armature, movable eyes, and synthetic hair (matched to screen-used hair samples). Her clothing is made from film-used patterns and includes a dress with inner lining, two striped sleeves, a bowtie, underwear, tights, and shoes. The fabric material of her dress matches an exact swatch of the dress from the movie, and her shoes are customized with details from the screen-used shoes. This fantastically accurate replica doll stands approximately 55 inches tall and will be an excellent addition to any family!
What do you think of NECA’s life-size replica of M3GAN? Will you be buying one of these? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
The estate of legendary comedian George Carlin has settled their lawsuit with the Dudesy podcast, stemming from the latter creating an AI-generated standup special using the likeness of Carlin. While specific details — particularly as they pertain to financial compensation — were not made public, the victory for the Carlin estate shows that there could be a much stronger support over (mis)use of likenesses than we may have fully seen enacted.
Carlin’s daughter, Kelly, immediately expressed her disdain over the hour-long standup special, titled George Carlin: I’m Glad I’m Dead, in which artificial intelligence was used to try to mimic the voice, delivery and patterns of the comedian…achieving less in being a piece of comedy than they did in slapping the face of Carlin. In a statement, she said this landmark win demonstrates the “dangers posed by AI technologies and the need for appropriate safeguards not just for artists and creatives, but every human on earth.” Former NFL star Tom Brady also had a run-in with Dudesy over AI, resulting in a cease and desist. As with the Carlin case, Brady’s video has also since been taken down, so we no longer live in a world where someone thinks Brady is as funny as Carlin.
According to a lawyer for the George Carlin estate (via The Hollywood Reporter), the victory “sends a message that you have to [be] very careful about how you use AI technology…and to be respectful of peoples’ hard work and good will.” He added that this will hopefully “serve as a blueprint for resolving similar disputes going forward where an artist or public figure has their rights infringed by AI technology.”
As we have seen for too long now, the use of AI can be plenty harmful — and we’re not just talking about job loss or industry integrity. Thankfully people like Kelly Carlin are taking charge and working to ensure that those whose have their likeness violated — whether in good fun or through more harmful acts — are protected, even after they have died. Hopefully this helps set a precedent within the entertainment industry.
Do you see the usage of artificial intelligence in such a manner slowing after the George Carlin settlement or have we yet to see its capabilities? Drop your thoughts in the comments section below.
After fifty years, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is still rightfully hailed by many as one of the all-time greatest comedies, and for a seemingly countless number of reasons: King Arthur’s “horse”, the corpse collector, the Black Knight, the outlandish animations, the rude French knights, an enchanter named Tim, the Knights who say “Ni” a killer rabbit, the Holy Hand Grenade, and so and so on.
But while the end result is historically hilarious, the filmmaking process itself was often pure misery for most involved. Get ready to storm the castle and find out WTF Happened to this Movie!
During the 1960s, British comedy writers and performers Graham Chapman, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin had variously collaborated and found degrees of success before uniting in 1969 to form the group known as Monty Python. This alliance resulted in the BBC sketch comedy series Monty Python’s Flying Circus, which became known for its intelligent but sometimes surreal humor, with memorably absurd moments like the Spanish Inquisition, Spam, the Ministry of Silly Walks, the Lumberjack Song, and of course, Dead Parrot.
After the third season of Flying Circus, John Cleese departed after becoming disenchanted with television. However, he was interested in movies, so the group started working on a script for a feature-length film. Their idea would satirize the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, with half the story taking place in medieval times and the other half in the modern day, where Arthur would eventually find the Holy Grail in the famous London department store Harrod’s simply because, as Terry Jones claimed, “It’s the store that has everything.” Further script revisions inevitably eliminated nearly all of the present-day material, which was considered “too distracting.” John Cleese later estimated that only 10-15% of the original draft ultimately survived.
Although Monty Python was fairly well known in the UK at the time from TV and stage appearances, that didn’t mean financing would be a breeze. Rather than approaching traditional sources, the group instead gathered funding from what Eric Idle called “people who were trying to lose tax money.” Cobbling together 10 or 20 thousand pounds each from record companies and rock stars like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Elton John, they eventually collected nearly 230,000 pounds to fund their first feature. And because these investors never expected or even wanted their money back, the filmmakers were mostly free from any creative interference.
In addition to playing several characters in the film, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam would split directing duties, both making their feature debut. Things started going wrong before they even started. Shortly before departing for filming in Scotland, the group learned that the Scottish Department of the Environment had denied permission to shoot in any of the castles that had already been scouted and prepped, declaring that the script was “incompatible with the dignity of the buildings,” which Idle found particularly ironic considering they were the same places where, as he said, “thousands of Scotsmen had slit each other’s throats.” Gilliam also scoffed at the hypocrisy, saying “These places had been built for torturing and killing people and you couldn’t do a bit of comedy?” Suddenly the privately owned Doune Castle would have to represent most of the movie’s various fortresses, with the filmmakers using clever framing to create the illusion of different interior and exterior locations.
Another bad omen – the production’s camera broke not just on the first day of filming, but on the very first shot. But while a replacement was found, Gilliam carried on, finishing out the first day of filming without sound.
The Scotland weather in May of 1974 was also inhospitable, with chilly temperatures and rainy conditions on most days. This made for a particularly uncomfortable experience for the cast, since the majority of costumes were made of knitted wool designed to resemble chain mail. John Cleese claimed the budget didn’t allow for more than a handful of umbrellas, and by midday, the knights were usually soggy and irritable after trotting around the muddy hillside on their non-horses. To make matters worse, the local hotel didn’t have nearly enough hot water to accommodate the entire cast and crew, causing a mad scramble at the end of each day’s production to get there first.
Those amusing invisible steeds that our heroes “ride” were actually another constraint of the film’s limited budget. Gilliam would have preferred real horses, but the lack of money forced some inventive improvisation, which resulted in one of the movie’s most brilliant gags. The film’s climactic army was another cost-cutting measure, with the horde of soldiers mostly consisting of a couple hundred local university students who were each paid just 2 pounds for the opportunity to charge into interrupted battle.
The dual directors presented different types of complications. Terry Jones was in charge of handling most of the comedy scenes and was determined to capture long exchanges like the dimwitted guards in a single unbroken take whenever possible. This put additional pressure on the performers and required much more preparation and rehearsal before the camera rolled.
Besides the animated sequences, Terry Gilliam was responsible for the scope and visuals, or what Idle called “making it look like a real movie.” Gilliam insisted that getting the atmosphere right would help make the jokes funnier. Still, his obsessive attention to artistic specifics often demanded more and more takes, which aggravated the cast, especially the cantankerous John Cleese, who felt he was being treated more like Gilliam’s animated paper than a human being. In addition, the director’s infatuation with omnipresent smoke eventually prompted Graham Chapman to quantify it on a scale of 1 to 10 Gilliams, ranging from a light mist to an impenetrable cloud.
Thanks to both directors’ combination of perfectionism and inexperience, almost the entire allotted budget for overtime was blown in the first week, and even then, most shooting days still ran much longer than planned. After years in sketch and stage work, Michael Palin wrestled with the multiple takes, non-sequential order and long days of feature filmmaking, and he struggled with trying to perform naturally and consistently, calling the shoot “an appalling process reducing an actor to the role of a machine.”
Another contributing factor to the general suffering was producer Mark Forstater, whose main qualification for the job was that he knew Terry Gilliam. When Forstater tried to cut corners during the shoot by purchasing six-year-old film stock, infuriated cinematographer Terry Bedford tossed it in a stream. Nearly every Python member would come to despise the producer over the project’s entire lifespan — even the famously polite Michael Palin could barely tolerate him. Forstater would long remain on the Python shit list when he later sued the group in 2012, claiming he was owed a larger share of profits from the hit stage adaptation Spamalot.
Further challenges on Holy Grail’s brief shoot were seemingly unlimited. Perhaps most notably, the severity of Graham Chapman’s alcoholism was something of a revelation to the other Pythons during the production, and when he attempted to quit drinking, his confidence promptly was shaken, and he was sometimes found visibly trembling from withdrawal.
Other difficulties included the chaos caused by the Pythons having to play multiple characters, sometimes during the same scenes, which could even have both directors also performing in front of the camera. At one point a realistic wooden cutout representing the castle of Camelot blew away during a sudden cloudburst and had to be recovered and repaired. Tim the Enchanter’s pyrotechnics refused to cooperate on cue, leaving a cranky John Cleese impatiently waiting on a rocky peak for an entire morning. The final scenes shot for the production, of the mud-piling Constitutional Peasants, could only have one take because they had run out of film stock.
Principal photography wrapped on the last day of May 1974, but that was hardly the end of the agony. After assembling the first cut, the film was shown to investors and screened for the public at a West London theater. The response was disastrous. The Pythons swiftly gathered to discuss the feedback and make repairs. Animated sequences felt too frequent and too long. The sound effects for the gory scenes were more sickening than funny. Palin claimed the film was too strong on authenticity and too weak on jokes.
But that was just the start, and the grueling editing and re-editing process took months of tweaks and improvements, all triggering numerous disagreements with the producer and among the Pythons themselves. Much of the sweeping medieval score by Neil Innes was ejected and replaced with jaunty film library music, which better established the comedic tone. Voiceovers were added to clarify the story, some minor reshoots were performed, things were removed and then adding back in. And finally, after thirteen test screenings and subsequent alterations, the movie was eventually, as Eric Idle put it, “dragged toward being funny.”
All that hard work ultimately paid off, although another benefit was the Pythons’ increased popularity. Their first movie And Now For Something Completely Different, a feature-length collection of sketches, made little impression upon its American release in 1972. But in 1974, Monty Python’s Flying Circus began airing on various PBS stations in America and became a cult hit, even prompting a re-release of And Now For Something Completely Different.
By the time Holy Grail was ready for its New York debut in April 1975, America was primed for more Python. Thousands of fans lined up around the block to see the premiere in New York, and even Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant and Jimmy Page were in attendance. While critical response to the movie was mixed, that didn’t matter. It went on to earn ten times its budget during its original theatrical run, with re-releases pushing it over $5 million dollars. The Pythons later said they never really make any serious money until Holy Grail opened in America.
In 2005, Eric Idle adapted the film into the Tony-winning stage musical Spamalot, which as of now is still running in revival on Broadway. The musical, along with Holy Grail’s various home video releases and other merchandise, has generated hundreds of millions in revenue. It has been estimated that the original investors have seen more than a 6000 percent return on their money.
By now, we all know the lasting legacy of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The Pythons themselves may or may not have actually liked each other much, based on recent online interactions between the surviving members. However, their first feature-length effort still made a significant cultural impact. Even after half a century, it remains one of the most quoted and instantly recognizable comedies in history and is often justifiably ranked near the top of polls and lists of the all-time greatest comedies. Doune Castle in Scotland is a popular tourist destination thanks to the movie. Even the real King himself, Elvis Presley, was allegedly a big fan. The Pythons made two further films together, Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life, but while they were financially successful, neither has achieved quite the same levels of fame and appreciation as King Arthur’s farcical quest.
When making Holy Grail, the Pythons may not entirely have known what they were doing at the time and innovated through their budgetary limitations, suffered the cold, muddy misery of filming their first feature, and endured the exhausting editing phase, but none of that stopped them from riding in on their coconuts and storming the world.
Once set up at the Max streaming service, the TV series Dead Boy Detectives, which is based on characters Neil Gaiman created for DC Comics in the pages of The Sandman issue #25, is now calling Netflix its home, having moved away from Max last year because it “doesn’t fit with DC executives James Gunn and Peter Safran’s plans for the DCU.” Netflix has set an April 25th premiere date for the show, and with that date just a few weeks away, a trailer has arrived online. You can check it out in the embed above to see the titular characters deal with paranormal cases while My Chemical Romance plays on the soundtrack.
Since these characters were introduced in the comic book The Sandman, it seems fitting that they ended up on Netflix, as the streamer is also home to the live-action The Sandman series.
George Rexstrew, making his screen debut, and Jayden Revri of The Lodge play the title characters in Dead Boy Detectives. The third lead of the show will be Kassius Nelson of Last Night in Soho. The eight one-hour episodes of the series will follow the Dead Boy Detectives — Charles Rowland (Revri) and Edwin Paine (Rexstrew) — who decided not to enter the afterlife in order to stay on earth and investigate crimes involving the supernatural. They are joined by Crystal Palace (Nelson), a living psychic medium.
Also in the cast are Lukas Gage (Euphoria) as Thomas the Cat King, who can transform into a Siamese cat and is always happy to make a deal, but shouldn’t be trusted; Briana Cuoco (The Flight Attendant) as Jenny, described as a mildly punk butcher and a confidant of Crystal Palace; Jenn Lyon (Justified) as Esther, described as a witch obsessed with youth and immortality; Yuyu Kitamura (The Expatriates) as Niko, a boarding school student intent on joining the Dead Boy Detectives agency who now lives above Jenny’s butcher shop; Caitlin Reilly (Hacks) and Max Jenkins (Dead to Me) as Litty and Kingham, who are “tiny foul-mouthed dandelion sprites who are a rude annoyance to the Dead Boys,” and Ruth Connell (For the Love of George) as Night Nurse, a demon that controls the flow of souls in the afterlife.
Connell is a carry-over from Doom Patrol, as she previously played Night Nurse on that show. But Charles, Edwin, and Crystal were played by Sebastian Croft, Ty Tennant, and Madalyn Horcher on Doom Patrol.
The pilot for Dead Boy Detectives was written by Steve Yockey, who also serves as executive producer alongside Jeremy Carver and Berlanti Productions’ Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and David Madden. Yockey and Carver previously worked together on Supernatural. Yockey was co-showrunner on The Flight Attendant, while Carver was showrunner on Doom Patrol. Yockey serves as showrunner on Dead Boy Detectives alongside Beth Schwartz, who was previously a showrunner on Arrow and Sweet Tooth.
Netflix shared this official description of the show: Meet Edwin Payne (Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Revri), ‘the brains’ and ‘the brawn’ behind the Dead Boy Detectives agency. Teenagers born decades apart who find each other only in death, Edwin and Charles are best friends and ghosts… who solve mysteries. They will do anything to stick together – including escaping evil witches, Hell and Death herself. With the help of a clairvoyant named Crystal (Nelson) and her friend Niko (Kitamura), they are able to crack some of the mortal realm’s most mystifying paranormal cases.
What did you think of the Dead Boy Detectives trailer? Will you be watching this show on Netflix? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Daredevil has truly been born again, as more set photos from the upcoming miniseries have emerged. But it’s not just Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock that we’re getting a glimpse of, it’s Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle aka Punisher.
In one photo (courtesy of the Daredevil Updates social media account), we see a suited-up Daredevil alongside Castle as the two look off camera to unseen terror. A main draw here might be the shot of Daredevil’s suit, which we previously saw in other set pics but can now see from a different angle and alongside yet another character. More photos also show The Punisher solo, giving a better look at his own get-up, although he does seem a little more reserved than we might be used to of the character. Bernthal first turned up as Castle in the second season of the 2015-2018 Netflix series.
Another cool image gives us an idea of just what Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin partly has in store, evidently setting up an “anti-vigilante task force”, signaling another element of conflict that will no doubt play a key part of Daredevil: Born Again when it arrives on Disney+ next year. Vincent D’Onofrio of course repreises Kingpin after having played him on the original Daredevil series, in addition to Hawkeye and Echo, perfectly setting him up for his return.
D’Onofrio has been one of the most vocal supporters of the series’ development, doing his part to calm those that felt there was too much retooling going on behind the scenes. “We are going to bring forward the best series we can. One we can be proud of. Every cool project I’ve been involved with has evolved constantly during pre-production, production and post. It’s just reported on these days as if it’s big news. It’s not. It’s simple a bunch of creatives doing their best to get it right. It’s a constant in this business. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Frankly I’d be worried if we were settling for less.” That, coupled with the stream of photos from the set, should add plenty of hype for those anticipating the series.
What do you think of the new pics from the set of Daredevil: Born Again? How do you feel about the costumes? Do you think the series will be the success fans hope for?
What’s the saying? Oh yeah… third times the charm and the Resident Evil series is no exception. For our third outing we’re here to explore the aftermath of the apocalypse with Resident Evil: Extinction (watch it HERE).This one is pretty divisive with the consensus being some people, like myself, loved this film while others felt this was the beginning of the downward slope of sequels of the franchise. Hear me out as to why I sing its praises. For one, it tells a cohesive story and gives us a side of Alice that we’ve been dying to see. We get more new characters that bring gravitas to the story as well as a fully fleshed out villain and it’s a lot of fun. Plus, its pays homage to The Road Warrior in the best way. So, let’s hit up the Sand Dunes of Vegas, stock up on firepower and beware of infected crows as we dive into Resident Evil: Extinction.
Back in 2004, Resident Evil: Apocalypsewas released in theaters. While it was very successful financially, and grossed over $23 million in its opening weekend, both audiences and critics felt it left a bad taste in their mouths. Paul W.S. Anderson, the previous director of the first film and producer of Apocalypse, didn’t like the style that director Alexander Witt took in the sequel. Anderson told SciFi Wire that he would like to oversee a third installment. On June 13, 2005, Sony and Screen Gems announced that a third film and a planned sequel were in the works. The working title was Resident Evil: Afterlife. As we all know, that title would be given to the fourth film in the series. The title would be changed to Resident Evil: Extinction. Anderson didn’t want to direct the third outing, for some reason, so the hunt was on for the next director of the series… but who would it be?
Lo and behold, Anderson would look to Russell Mulcahy for directing duties. He was very impressed with his work on Highlander, Highlander II: The Quickening, The Shadow and Ricochet. After Russell signed on to direct, Anderson said, “Russell pioneered a very distinct visual style, a lot of moving camera and crane work, lots of very fast cutting. He’s got a very cool eye and sees great ways to shoot. His work certainly had a big influence on me as a filmmaker and that’s why I was very excited to work with him on this movie.”
Paul W.S. Anderson would come back to write the script. He changed up the scenery from a desolate city and instead gave us a desolate wasteland. It draws inspiration from Westerns and the Mad Max series, with plot elements that included oil and supplies shortages, convoys in the desert as well as the desert taking over most locations. While it borrows themes from other films, Anderson would go on to say the story is original. “It’s all part of trying to deliver a movie-going experience that satisfies the fans of the game but also provides a fun cinematic experience for a broader audience that has never played a Resident Evil game.” Both of the previous films would be loosely based on or around some of the video games in the series. Extinction would branch completely away from them. Even though it’s a film that stands on its own and feels significantly different, it would include a replica Hive Facility and Spencer Mansion, like in the first film. It would also introduce us to a new holographic computer database known as the White Queen. Other new characters, both living and undead, would also make appearances including the introduction of both Claire Redfield and Albert Wesker, who are from the video game series, as well as the “Super Undead”. These are a result of Umbrella experimenting with the Undead, attempting to give them some intelligence and humanity. The experiments didn’t quite work out and the side effect results in the Super Undead.
At the time of casting, Milla Jovovich wasn’t interested in doing a third film due to her disappointment with Apocalypse. After she read the script however, she changed her mind… I wonder if Anderson had a hand in that? Mike Epps confirmed that he would be coming back as L.J. Wade as well as Oded Fehr for Carlos Oliveria. Iain Glen would also reprise his role of Dr. Alexander Issacs, but, there would be a major character not returning for this film, and that was Jill Valentine. Sienna Guillory was planned to reprise the role but passed for prior commitments to Eragon. Listen, to each their own, but Jill not being in this film felt like something was missing. I’m sure Sienna had her reasons why she thought Eragon was the better option, but as we all know, that film was a huge disappointment at the box office and the interest for further films lay dead in the water. Ali Larter would tackle the role of Claire Redfiled. In the game, Claire is in a never-ending search for her brother Chris. Instead in the film, she leads a convoy of survivors across the desert. Other newcomers to the film included Ashanti as well as Spencer Locke and Jason O’Mara. Fun fact about Jason, is that this is the only film where he portrays Albert Wesker. All of the sequels after this, Wesker would be played by Shawn Roberts.
The plot of Resident Evil Extinction takes place five years after the events of Apocalypse. The world remains ravaged by the T-virus outbreak, leaving Alice to wander the desolate desert alone. She eventually encounters a group of survivors led by Claire Redfield, and together they embark on a journey to find a rumored safe haven in Alaska. Along the way, they face relentless attacks from both the undead and Umbrella Corporation’s forces, as well as genetically modified Super Undead zombies. Alice discovers her enhanced psychic abilities, a result of Umbrella’s experiments, which aid her in battling the corporation’s plans. Their quest leads to a final showdown with Umbrella’s head, Dr. Isaacs, and the revelation of sinister trickery driving the apocalypse, setting the stage for a continued struggle against the forces of evil.
Principal Photography began in May 2006 in Mexicali and Baja California, Mexico. Filming locations were changed from the Australian Outback to Mexico. This would cause the production dates to be pushed back repeatedly. Russell Mulcahy insisted that the film be shot during the day in the blazing sun instead of at night. David Johnson was hired as the film’s Director of Photography. Seeing as how Paul W.S. Anderson had hired David for the first Resident Evil and Alien vs. Predator, it was a no brainer to bring him back. It was a breath of fresh air to be able to see the action this time around. Production Designer Eugenio Caballero would design multiple sets including Umbrella’s underground lab, The Vegas Strip covered in sand as well as the New York-New York Hotel & Casino, Paris Las Vegas, Rialto Ponte, Luxor Hotel and the Spencer Mansion replica. Tons of small scale models were built against blue screens to create the desolate Vegas Strip. Temperatures reached up to 130 degrees in various Mexico locations and various members of the crew would have to be treated for hydration.
The film began its post production process in July 2006. Details had to be kept secret. Tatopoulos Studios and Mr. X. Inc, who worked on Silent Hill, were hired to do the film’s special effects. Mumbai-based Anibrain was also hired to work on visual effects for the film too. Around 2006, VFX companies started to use NVIDIA Technology. A perfect example of this, at the time, ground breaking technology, is when we see a “fly-through” of the interior of a satellite displaying photorealistic animation. It looks very impressive and was just the start of what that technology would be capable of.
To get buzz started for the film, its first teaser trailer, which is reminiscent of the “Regenerate” teaser, was shown in front of Ghost Rider in February of 2007. Sony’s website for the film would launch on February 17 of that same year. There it would state the film’s official release date of September 21, 2007.
The composers for the first film were Marilyn Manson and Marco Beltram. For Apocalypse, Jeff Dana composed the score. But this time around, we were treated to Charlie Clouser as composer. If you don’t know who that his, give yourself a refresher and listen to the Saw Theme Song. Yep, that’s him. Charlie Clouser probably had the best year in 2007. Not only did he compose Resident Evil: Extinction, but he also orchestrated the scores for Dead Silence, Death Sentence and Saw IV. I don’t know about you, but Dead Silence’s score is one of my all time favorites in regards to horror films. I guess you can say us Resident Evil fans were in good hands.
Resident Evil: Extinction opened on September 21, 2007. It opened to first place on opening weekend grossing a healthy $23 million, beating out newcomers Good Luck Chuck and Sydney White. Domestically it would gross around $50 million as well as rake in another $97 million internationally, ending with a worldwide total of $147 million on a budget consisting of $45 million.
As stated in our last video, critics despised Resident Evil: Apocalypse. Because of that, critics were not able to screen the film before the general audience. Sony was clearly afraid of what critics would say about the film. Unfortunately, they still weren’t kind to this film. Currently, this film holds a 25% on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus reading, “Resident Evil Extinction is more of the same; its few impressive action sequences unable to compensate for the pedestrian plot.” Hmm, what’s this? A positive review by a critic! Kevin Crust of The Los Angeles Times praised the film. He said the story and characters were engaging with fight scenes and scares were effectively placed between plot turns. There was a common complaint noticed by everyone, and that’s the unnecessary digital airbrushing. This is prominent on most of Milla’s face during close ups.
Resident Evil: Extinction was released on DVD, Blu-ray and UMD on January 1, 2008. What a way to ring in the New Year! A Blu-ray release of the Resident Evil Trilogy was also released on that same day. At this time, with state of the art discs releasing for home media, VHS tapes would be discontinued. Nowadays, there is a huge nostalgia and resurgence for VHS and analog media. If anyone at Screen Gems or Sony is watching this, can you please release this on VHS? I’d love to complete the original trilogy for my collection as well as Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of the Sith! The film came packed with Deleted Scenes, Commentary, Making of featurettes as well as a sneak peek of Resident Evil: Degeneration, the first CGI Resident Evil film. Back when Blu-rays were Brand New and the hottest technology, most distributors would release a special feature called Picture-In-Picture. Basically, you could watch the movie on your Blu-ray Player at home. PiP for short, allows you to view additional content simultaneously with the main video playback. When viewing it, a smaller window would be overlaid on the main video screen and display additional content like interviews with cast, making of documentaries or storyboard comparison, while the main video continues to play.
While critics may have written this film off, there was no denying that everyone loved the action, and oh man does this film bring it. The beginning of the film, where Alice is taken hostage by a family of marauders. There they make her fight to the death against fan favorite zombie dogs. Of course Alice prevails and manages to escape, but this sequence was a breath of fresh air and a wonderful welcome back for our protagonist. Two other huge moments stand out in the film to me as well. The Las Vegas Strip shootout scene is nothing short of relentless action, mayhem and fun. Dr. Isaac unleashes an endless horde of zombies on the convoy of survivors killing most of them, but not without Alice kicking some serious ass as well as Carlos and Claire getting a few rounds in. Last but not least, we can’t forget about the awesome end battle of Alice vs Mutated Dr. Issacs. In so many ways, it felt like the end battle was a capper of the series. Alice has deja vu, as does the audience, as we see her break into the replica Hive and avoid most of the same obstacles we’ve come to know and love from the first film. The fight scene is visually stunning and filled with high-octane action and suspense. It not only serves as the climactic confrontation between Alice and Dr. Issacs, but also highlights the dynamics between one another.
There is a clear divide on this film. There are some who really enjoy it and think it’s one of the best, and there are others who think this is where the train jumped the rails and the series was never the same afterwards. As someone who thoroughly enjoyed this film, I can see why some wouldn’t enjoy this as much. It strays away from what the first two films had going for it… and that’s being video game adaptations. This time around, it felt more like a horror action Mad Max film, but in the best way. Alice is fully fleshed out here and has a story arc that feels engaging. There are no secrets of her past that are going to randomly come out at the last second. We know her motive throughout and it makes for a truly fun time.
However, I can’t ignore some things. The first, and most important, is the omission of Jill Valentine. In our previous video, I believed that she was the best part of the film. Her presence not being here is felt all throughout and definitely feels like a bummer. Second is killing off Carlos and L.J. Carlos was the male protagonist the series needed and he plays off Alice so well here. L.J.’s character gets more of a juicier role this time around and isn’t just the comedian of the group. When he turns into a Zombie and bites Carlos, it’s very disheartening. Carlos, however, goes out with a bang and is one of the highlights, to me, of the whole series. The survivors have to break into Umbrella’s underground facility. Carlos pulls a Dom from Gears of War and sacrifices himself for the group to reach their destination. It’s so good and you can’t help but fist-pump as Carlos says his final farewell.
In conclusion, what makes this such a great addition to the series? For one, it has an engaging storyline. and follows Alice, as she navigates through the desert wasteland. The narrative keeps viewers engaged from start to finish, with twists and turns that maintain suspense and excitement. It boasts Milla Jovovich’s best performance in the series so far, showcasing her resilience, courage, and determination in the face of overwhelming odds. It’s stunning to look at with impressive visual effects that feature desolate desert landscapes, menacing creatures and action-packed sequences. It also has tons of rewatchability. While opinions on Resident Evil: Extinction may vary, its strong storyline, performances, visual effects, and action-packed sequences contribute to its overall appeal and make it a satisfying entry in the franchise for many viewers.
With this being a six film series, its only natural to conclude this episode with saying that, once again, because of the financial success of this film, another one was on the horizon. In 2010, we would get the fourth film in the ongoing franchise aptly named Resident Evil: Afterlife and would be the series first foray into 3D technology. So what do you think? Would you like to see us cover Afterlife? Let us know in the comments below!
Two previous episodes of Revisited can be seen below. To see more of our shows, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals channel – and subscribe while you’re at it!
World Boxing Council middleweight champ Kali Reis recently shared the screen with Jodie Foster in the HBO series True Detective: Night Country, and now Deadline reports that she is following up the success of that season of television by signing on to join previously announced cast members Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy), Rebecca Ferguson (Dune), and Annabelle Wallis (Malignant) in the sci-fi thriller Mercy.
Mercy reunites Pratt with his Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov to tell a story that is “set in the near future when capital crime has increased” and follows “a detective (Pratt] who is accused of a violent crime and forced to prove his innocence.” The screenplay was written by Marco Van Belle (Arthur & Merlin).
Coming our way from Amazon MGM Studios, the film is expected to go into production this spring and is already scheduled to receive a worldwide theatrical release on August 15, 2025.
Charles Roven, who just won an Academy Award for producing Oppenheimer, is producing Mercy with Atlas Entertainment SVP Robert Amidon, alongside Bekmambetov’s BEL banner and Majd Nassif.
We know who Pratt is playing in the movie, but no details have been revealed about the characters Ferguson, Wallis, and Reis will be playing. In addition to True Detective: Night Country, Reis has also had acting credits on the newly released paramedic thriller Asphalt City and the crime thriller Catch the Fair One (where she shared a “story by” writing credit with director Josef Kubota Wladyka). True Detective: Night Country was the most-watched season of the crime anthology show, averaging 12.7 million cross-platform viewers, with 3.2 million checking out the season finale on the day of its release. So it was no surprise when HBO announced that they were bringing Tigers Are Not Afraid filmmaker Issa López, who directed and co-wrote all six episodes of the season, back to mastermind another season of the series. Every season has centered on a new batch of characters, so Kali Reis probably won’t be returning to the world of True Detective… unless López decides to switch things up this time around.
Are you interested in Mercy? What do you think of Chris Pratt, Rebecca Ferguson, Annabelle Wallis, and Kali Reis heading up the cast? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
Allllllrighty Then! Fact: if you were a kid in the nineties, you grew up idolizing Jim Carrey, and probably had the two Ace Ventura movies memorized. Recently, actor Kurt Russell fondly reminisced about taking his son Wyatt to see Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and it looks like another Hollywood tough guy was also a huge fan as a kid. In a surprisingly deep THR profile, Reacher star Alan Ritchson fondly remembers seeing the film as a kid and found Carrey’s performance loosened him up, as he had a deeply devout, religious home life that tended to be austere.
Calling Carrey his hero, Ritchson remembers, “When Ace Ventura came out [in 1994], I was in sixth grade, and I was enamored. He was so physical, goofy and unafraid. I’d never seen anything like it. I dressed up as Ace Ventura for three Halloweens in a row. I showed up to school and wouldn’t break character the entire time. I had the hair, the business card and I would walk up to people at their lunch tables and say, ‘Excuse me, I’d like to ass you a few questions.”
To Ritchson, Carrey’s gift as far as making people laugh was something that inspired him. He said the only time he ever came close to meeting Carrey was when the latter was shooting The Truman Show, which was filmed close to where he grew up. He remembers staking out Carrey’s trailer during the shoot, but a pesky security guard kept him from meeting his hero. “My mom spotted him and went, ‘There he is!’ I unveiled my poster and said, ‘Hey, Jim!’ He looked over and did this big belly laugh by arching his spine backwards. My brother and I ran over to him, but a security guard was there. He put his hand on a gun and said, ‘Don’t go any closer.’ Jim was caught in this place where he wanted to sign it but had to go to work, so he just wandered off. That’s as close as I’ve gotten.”
The THR profile is well worth reading, with Ritchson showing himself to be an open book. In it, he opens up about a few near sexual assaults he survived as a model and his long, slow road to stardom. Throughout it all, Ritchson emerges as totally authentic and willing to confront a lot of things most macho actors keep hidden, such as his battles with ADHD, depression, and his devout faith. Ritchson has a stacked 2024, with him starring in a holiday comedy with Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Netflix action flick, season thee of Reacher, and this month’s Guy Ritchie movie, The League of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is just over a month away, and it looks like Wes Ball’s addition to the franchise is stacking up to be a significant hit. The last three Planet of the Apes movies did a good job reinventing the franchise for the 21st century, with the last two instalments, directed by Matt Reeves, especially acclaimed. While the Caesar trilogy has come to an end, the new film is set to follow the same continuity, only taking place generations later. In many ways, Kingdom seems more in line with the original series, with talking apes, led by Owen Teague’s Noa, at war with a primitive human society.
According to Deadline, the film is tracking for a $54-61 million dollar opening, which would put it on track with the last film, War for the Planet of the Apes, which opened with $56 million. It’ll be interesting to see how word of mouth is, as the amazing reviews meant that the last two films had serious legs at the box office. Ball’s film has been getting excellent buzz, with him even nabbing the highly coveted job of directing the Legend of Zelda live-action flick.
The Running Time Sets a Franchise Record
Tickets for the film went on sale yesterday, with pre-sale outlets listing the movie’s running time as 145 minutes. That actually sets a franchise record, but not by much. War of the Planet of the Apes ran 140 minutes, while Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was 130. By contrast, Rise of the Planet of the Apes (starring the now cancelled James Franco – remember him?) was only 105 minutes.
What’s It About?
According to the official synopsis from Disney/ 20th Century Studios, “Director Wes Ball breathes new life into the global, epic franchise set several generations in the future following Caesar’s reign, in which apes are the dominant species living harmoniously and humans have been reduced to living in the shadows. As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all that he has known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.”
Who’s In It?
In addition to Owen Teague, the film also stars The Witcher’s Freya Allan, Kevin Durand and William H. Macy.
New IMAX Trailer
In the meantime, to get folks hyped, IMAX has released a new trailer for the film you can see below. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes comes out on May 10th. Are you looking forward to it?
