Our own Chris Bumbray caught Chris Pine’s Poolman at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and absolutely loved the movie, calling it “desperately unfunny,” “grating,” “and “one of the worst movies I’ve ever reviewed.” High praise indeed. The first trailer for Poolman was recently released, giving audiences the chance to check out this cinematic triumph for themselves.
Poolman tells the story of “Darren Barrenman (Pine), a native Los Angeleno who spends his days looking after the pool of the Tahitian Tiki apartment block and fighting to make his hometown a better place to live. When he is tasked by a femme fatale to uncover the truth behind a shady business deal, Darren enlists the help of his friends to take on a corrupt politician and a greedy land developer. His investigation reveals a hidden truth about his beloved city and himself.” In addition to starring in Poolman, Pine also made his directorial debut with the film and co-wrote the script with Ian Gotler.
When it came to stepping behind the camera for the first time, Pine told Entertainment Weekly that he “hadn’t thought about directing until I happened upon this idea. It was the idea that really wouldn’t let go of me and wouldn’t let me wiggle out of directing duties. I loved having ownership of this creation from top to bottom. The ability to fully express myself was deeply satisfying.” Pine also managed to gather quite the stacked cast for Poolman, with DeWanda Wise, Annette Bening, Danny DeVito, and Jennifer Jason Leigh starring alongside him. “I love actors and there I was working with some of the best actors in our business,” Pine said. “It was a marvel to watch them discover and create right in front of my eyes. And whatever anxiety I may have had directing Oscar winners evaporated quite quickly under the heat of ‘no money, no time.’“
You likely don’t need more convincing to place Poolman in your best movies of the year list, but I’ll let Chris Bumbray seal the deal. “A movie like this lives and dies by its central character, and Pine is never convincing as a down-and-out hippie Poolman,” Bumbray wrote in his review. “He’s trying to stretch beyond his leading man comfort level, and while his roguish charm was funny in Dungeons & Dragons, he’s not able to make Darren anything more than a joke, and a bad one at that… You never invest in the mystery because Pine is nothing less than grating in the lead role… This desperately wants to be the next Big Lebowski or Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, but it would be better for all involved if Poolman comes and goes without much fuss.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s glowing review right here.
What did you think of the Poolman trailer? Will you be watching when it hits theaters on May 10th?
On the eve of its Disney+ debut on March 20, X-Men ’97showrunner Beau DeMayo exited the project unceremoniously. Questions surrounding DeMayo’s departure started circulating immediately when the news reached social media and other outlets. Nowadays, the stewards of marque projects for top-of-the-food-chain studios like Disney and Marvel don’t simply “disappear” without people assuming the worst. Today, Brad Winderbaum, the head of streaming television and animation at Marvel Studios, commented on DeMayo’s exit, though his remarks are somewhat vague.
“I can’t talk about the details,” Winderbaum tells Entertainment Weekly, “but I can say that Beau had real respect and passion for these characters and wrote what I think are excellent scripts that really the rest of the team were able to draw inspiration from [to] build this amazing show that’s on screen.”
When asked if he would call DeMayo’s departure a “firing,” Winderbaum said, “I don’t. ‘We parted ways’ is the best way I could say.” Meanwhile, DeMayo’s reps did not respond when EW asked for a comment.
Amazingly, DeMayo completed work on Season 1 and Season 2 of X-Men ’97 before his exit. He’s been at the head of the revival since 2021 and is an integral part of the series. Oddly, someone wiped DeMayo’s social media presence from the internet around his departure from the series. The accounts are active again, making the brief radio silence even more bizarre. Maybe DeMayo didn’t feel like being swamped with questions until he was ready to share his story.
“He did excellent work writing seasons 1 and 2, and I can’t wait for fans to see the series,” Winderbaum told Variety. “The entire team came together to create a revival worthy of the X-Men’s 60-year legacy. From Stan and Jack, to Claremont, to the Lewalds, we all truly were standing on the shoulders of giants.”
Regarding hiring a new showrunner, Winderbaum says it’s too early to talk about such things but wants fans to know the show is in good hands.
“I’ve now seen versions of animatics for the entire second season,” Winterbaum says. “Obviously, when you’re in that stage, there’s a lot of work to do. It’s editorial, but it’s also still iterative because there’s still story to be worked out when you put it on its feet in that way. We’re going to start development on the third season very soon. And, yeah, we’re trying to figure out who is going to be that voice on the page, but luckily — that’s going to come as a surprise — there’s many talented X-Men fans, excellent writers.”
People online have speculated that DeMayo’s exit could have stemmed from his non-explicit OnlyFans account, though its existence is well known and has been for some time.
What do you think about Beau DeMayo’s exit from X-Men ’97? While you’re mulling that over, be on the lookout for our interview with X-Men ’97 supervising director and producer Jake Castorena closer to the show’s two-episode launch on Disney+ on March 20.
Tonight, Shudder and AMC+ will be airing a special edition of The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs that serves as a tribute to legendary producer Roger Corman – so it seems fitting that we have some Corman news to report today. Deadline has revealed that Corman and Brad Krevoy, CEO of MPCA, are teaming up to produce a reboot of Corman’s 1960 classic The Little Shop of Horrors called Little Shop of Halloween Horrors, with Joe Dante on board to direct!
Dante’s previous directing credits include Piranha, The Howling, Gremlins, Innerspace, The ‘Burbs, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Matinee, Small Soldiers, and Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
Gremlins 2 and Matinee writer Charles S. Haas has written the screenplay for Little Shop of Halloween Horrors, but plot details have not been revealed. The Little Shop of Horrors, which received a very popular musical adaptation (that was turned into a film in 1986) told the following story: Seymour Krelboined works in the Skid Row flower shop owned by Mr. Mushnik. In his spare time, Seymour creates a new plant species he names Audrey Junior in honor of his girlfriend Audrey. Audrey Junior begins speaking and demands to be fed human blood and flesh, convincing Seymour to kill a railroad detective, a sadistic dentist and a trollop. Seymour’s guilt over the deaths forces him to confront Audrey Junior in a final confrontation.
The hope is that Little Shop of Halloween Horrors will launch a new franchise. Corman shot the original Little Shop of Horrors in just two days. As Deadline notes, Corman – who turns 98 on April 5th – has directed more than 70 films and produced more than 300 over the course of his seven-decade career.
I love The Little Shop of Horrors and its musical adaptation, and I’m a fan of director Joe Dante, so I’m excited to see how Little Shop of Halloween Horrors is going to turn out.
Are you a fan of The Little Shop of Horrors, and are you interested in Little Shop of Halloween Horrors? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
By the way, if you’re wondering which Corman movies are going to be shown during the Joe Bob Briggs special, it sounds like it’s going to be A Bucket of Blood and Deathstalker. A Deathstalker remake was announced just last week.
People say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but Nicolas Cage could be spilling beans about his time in Sin City. In 2022, Cage said he likely never got paid for his role as the suicidal alcoholic screenwriter Ben Sanderson in the Mike Figgis-directed drama Leaving Las Vegas. The film was an Academy Awards powerhouse in 1996, earning top prizes for Best Actor (Nicolas Cage), Best Actress (Elizabeth Shue), Best Director (Mike Figgis), and Best Adapted Screenplay. The thought of Cage not getting paid for such a monumental role seems ridiculous, but it could be true.
While walking the red carpet at the SXSW Film & TV Festival on Monday, promoting his new film Arcadian, Cage spoke with Business Insider about his earnings confusion. While many of us would be livid about not getting paid for such a significant role, Cage says he remains unbothered by the circumstances.
“But I haven’t been thinking about it,” Cage said. “I got to play a part that I absolutely had to play. There was no doubt in my mind that it would be an experience and a great movie. I wasn’t going to stop — whether they paid me or not, I was making the movie.”
In Leaving Las Vegas, Ben Sanderson (Nicolas Cage), a Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of his alcoholism, arrives in Las Vegas to drink himself to death. There, he meets and forms an uneasy friendship and non-interference pact with prostitute Sera (Elizabeth Shue).
Following his role in Leaving Las Vegas, Nicolas Cage’s Hollywood cache increased, allowing him to ask for more money for future acting roles. Previously, Leaving Las Vegas director Mike Figgis said he never got his $100,000 pay for directing the Oscar-winning drama. He said as much in 2022 on the It Happened In Hollywoodpodcast, presented by The Hollywood Reporter.
“They said the film never went into profit,” Figgis said about Lumiere Pictures, which financed Leaving Las Vegas, a $4 million-dollar production.
Could you imagine not getting paid for directing or acting in an Oscar-winning film? I’d like to know if there’s been any repercussions for Lumiere. I’d be banging their door down, demanding my money if it were me. Filmmakers should be paid for their work, full stop. The thought of Lumiere Pictures getting away with stiffing their cast and crew is madness if that’s indeed what happened.
With his 2000 feature directorial debut The Dead Hate the Living!, Dave Parker made what I feel is one of the best Full Moon films, so I’ve been eager to see more of his work ever since. He hasn’t made a lot of movies over the decades, but every time he has, I’ve been there to check it out: the subversive slasher The Hills Run Red (2009), the anthology Tales of Halloween (2015), the housesitting horror It Watches, the Full Moon spin-off Puppet Master: Doktor Death (2022)… So I’m excited to see that a new Parker film, a vampire movie called You Shouldn’t Have Let Me In, has just been released through the free streaming service Tubi as a Tubi Original! The trailer is embedded above.
Parker directed You Shouldn’t Have Let Me In from a screenplay by Michael Lucid and Mary O’Neil. This is the first feature writing credit for Lucid, who is most often credited as an actor or a casting editor. O’Neil (who also had several acting credits) previously worked on the script for Second Chance Christmas. The story Lucid and O’Neil crafted for this one has the following synopsis: During a bachelorette party in Italy, a group of girls invite a handsome stranger into their home, not realizing he’s a vampire looking for a bride.
The film stars Isabella Egizi (Sugar Town), Anastasiya Bogach (Twin Flower), Nathaniel Ansbach (Inner City Rats), Fabián Castro (Ombligo), Riccardo Angelini (School of Champions), Andrea Melis (Anna), and newcomers Diana Gardner, Giulia Nunnari, Mauro Massa, Laura Mura, and Davide Nurra.
You Shouldn’t Have Let Me In was produced by Christian Ortega and Roberta Setzu, with Angie Day, Mattie Fellbaum, Hannah Pillemer, Fernando Szew, and Marianne C. Wunch serving as executive producers.
What did you think of the trailer for You Shouldn’t Have Let Me In? Will you be watching this movie on Tubi? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Like I said, his work on The Dead Hate the Living! was already enough to ensure that I’ll watch anything Dave Parker makes, so I will definitely be checking this movie out.
In one of our recent WTF episodes, we covered the eye-gouging, eastern European-set filthy shenanigans of Eli Roth’s nicely messed up torture porn movie, Hostel. The film helped pave the way for the exploitation horror subgenre to thrive in the early 2000s, and followed a group of American tourists who get a lot more than they bargained for during a trip to the lovely picturesque country of Slovakia. Poor lads. All they wanted was some promiscuous sex with hot European ladies, but they weren’t counting on a shady organization dishing out decapitation and slit throats, as a side dish to the fornication. The movie, according to the tagline, was ‘based upon true events’ and whether or not you believe this claim, it’s nothing if not brutally demented in parts. So, like any other horror movie that manages to whip up a frenzy with critics and fans alike, plus a decent box office return, a sequel was inevitable. Although the fevered response to the movie may have been mixed, audiences had a taste for Slovakian-based bloodshed, and Eli Roth was just the man to deliver it. Again. However, with a promise that the grisly ante was going to be upped significantly in the sequel, could Roth prove that the decent premise of the first movie could be expanded upon in the sequel? Well, instead of three horndogs who were punished for their wild hedonism in part one, Roth is focusing on female protagonists / victims this time around. Would this ultimately lead to an outrageous sequel, filled to the brim with inventive gore, or would it leave audiences feeling numb, rather than enthralled? Let’s find out, here on WTF Happened to Hostel: Part II (watch it HERE).
Since Hostel: Part One was released back in 2005, almost twenty years ago which seems insane in itself, horror has found itself at the mercy of several trends. The Scream franchise had managed to become even more post, post-modern, while J-horror was flying the flag for manky-haired spirits hell-bent on vengeance. Then, partly thanks to Eli Roth’s first Hostel movie, ‘torture porn’, also known as ‘gorno’ was born; a subgenre of horror that liked to bait the censors with over the top, gratuitous violence. Unlike J-horror, which utilizes jump scares and internal fears to scare audiences, with largely bloodless efficiency, gorno movies go all out with excessive blood-shed. With its roots firmly set in 70s exploitation, gorno movies elicit fear by lingering on excruciating pain, voyeuristic camerawork and a penchant for inventive mutilation.
After Hostel had torn a new hole in the horror world, Roth quickly conceived of a sequel that would be set straight after the events of the first movie, but this time ‘upping the ante’ by focusing on the three female protagonists. Quentin Tarantino returned as executive producer, alongside Boaz Yakin and Scott Spiegel while it was produced by Mike Fleiss, Chris Briggs and Roth himself. Casting on the three female protagonists was crucial, with them all inhabiting particular character traits. The main role of sensible Beth Salinger went to American actress Lauren German who had impressed Roth with her part in 2003’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre with the director saying that, “Lauren has a sense of humor, but she can also handle those horrific, intense moments,” explained Roth. “I needed an actress who would be so vulnerable and so likable, but then really strong when she needs to be. Even though Lauren probably weighs ninety pounds soaking wet and looks like a princess, you feel like she’s kicking ass.” Roth Cast Heather Matarazzo for the part of nerdy Lorna, and the actress flew to Los Angeles to read for the part, unaware that Roth was actually meeting with her to offer her the role in person. Almost Famous and Bully star Bijou Phillips was cast as the feisty Whitney after impressing Roth in her audition and all three leads have plenty to do in the movie to prove they were worth casting.
The movie’s narrative kicks off soon after the events of part one and we meet up with Paxton, who survived the tasty shenanigans of the first movie, and was able to escape the Elite Hunting Club. He’s suffering from PTSD and, following an argument with his girlfriend (played by Jordan Ladd), his headless corpse is found in the kitchen and his head delivered to the EHC’s boss Sasha Rassimov. The action then switches to Rome where the three college girls are studying art, and are enticed to a Slovakian spa by new acquaintance Axelle (played by Vera Jordanova). Up until this point the girls adventure is in stark contrast to the fun the lads were having, until they were brutally maimed of course, in part one. The carnal playground from the first movie is swapped for what is an incredibly threatening environment for the girls, with a trip to Prague being ruined by an assortment of dubious guys. So, when they’re offered the chance to visit a seemingly beautiful Slovakian spa, they jump at the chance. Humorously, Roth jokes around with their innocent curiosity by cutting straight to the hostel of the movie’s title, just after one of the characters wonders out loud about where exactly they’ll be staying. Hint: it’s not exactly The Bel-Air…
Hostel: Part II is ultimately a decent second entry in the franchise and, despite not being quite as inventive as the first film, it still packs some tasty gore into its lean one hour and thirty four minute runtime, even if it runs out of steam a touch early. Roth seems to enjoy playing with a bigger budget; the VFX is a blood-splattered delight in places, with one scene ensuring the local fake blood store probably had to be raided in case of multiple takes. The production design and cinematography also have the look of a director more in command of his powers, and more confident in crafting a suitably fucked up sequel. However, while the opening act reminds us of what worked so well in part one, the movie soon runs out of gory enough ideas to satiate hardcore gore-hounds, with the exception of two moments towards the movie’s conclusion that were as unintentionally hilarious as they were disturbing. And no, I don’t mean the gnarly scene in which a Hannibal Lecter wannabe (played by Cannibal Holocaust director Ruggero Deodato) slices the flesh off some poor bloke and eats it like a prime cut of Argentinian beef. In fact, Roth riffs on the Hostel being like a steakhouse when one character is seen with a buzzer to alert him when his girl is captured; much like one you’d be given at your local steakhouse. The buzzer that is, not the girl!
One of the more predictable, but welcome, plot points this time around, is that we find out more about the nefarious organization behind the sadistic torturing of the unfortunate victims. The Elite Hunting Club uses the hostel as ground zero for procuring said victims, and also where they stage online auctions for the sick and twisted victimizers to bid on. We’re introduced to two of the successful bidders early on in the movie; the brash overconfident Todd (played by Richard Burgi), who wants to enhance his deluded tough guy image by committing real murders. We also meet Stuart, a family man with a wife and two kids whose lack of respect and affection at home hints at a desire for an outlet where he can take these frustrations out. Not getting action at home lads and lasses? Why not pay a fortune to drill a hole in someone’s head. That’ll help! Despite signing up for the ‘spa weekend’, after being coerced into it by Todd, it’s never clear if the apparently shy and reluctant Stuart is really onboard with the impending carnage that awaits.
Also I’m not sure if Roth genuinely cares about his trio of female characters, but he does elicit some very good performances from them, especially Lauren German who not only anchors the three girls but also the movie. Her character arc may seem a little implausible given her actions up until the grisly conclusion, but the actress makes up for this with a very natural performance. This isn’t to say that Piper and Matarazzo trail behind her, with the latter’s screams of pain all too real during the midway, literal, bloodbath. This particular scene, that was the key selling point of the movie’s marketing campaign, is the movie’s highlight, and apart from the film’s final scenes, the bloodshed often happens offscreen. Howay man, we wanna see the good stuff! This is the main criticism of the movie, in that it seems to blow its gory load a little early but the ending is admittedly hilarious, with a severed penis and a decapitated head being kicked around by the gypsy street kids like a bunch of mini Lionel Messis!
Hostel: Part II opened in the US on June 8th, 2007, where it debuted at number six at the box office, grossing $8.2 million dollars across 2,350 screens. It opened internationally later in June and hauled in $35.5 million dollars overall. The movie grossed significantly less than part one, which was attributed to a slump in horror films at the time, as well as the fact that the movie was apparently the most pirated release of all time, having been downloaded by millions of users.
Critically, just like part one, the movie was met with an inevitably mixed response. Rotten Tomatoes, if their stats mean much to you, reports an approval rating of 44% based upon 112 reviews, while their critics consensus reads as, “Offering up more of the familiar sadism and gore, Hostel: Part II will surely thrill horror fans“. One of the most positive reactions to the movie focused on the improved production values, compared to the first movie. The Hollywood Reporter, for example, said the film was, “a step up in virtually every aspect, from production values to its better focused storytelling and more fully developed characters.” The UK’s Total Film also praised the movie as being a “superior beast” to the first one, a better technical achievement, a “superior plot” and also characters who were “fun to hook up with”. Critics of the movie focused on how similar it was to part one, saying that the enhanced production values came at the expense of a more original story and that the trio of girls were just about more tolerable than the ‘frat boys’ from part one.
Ultimately though, let’s face it, the follow-up to Hostel: Part One was never going to revolutionize the horror sequel as we know it. It’s flashier, gory as hell in places but doesn’t necessarily do anything more with the franchise, other than introducing the fiends behind the nefarious EHC and showing some decent carnage. It also once again portrays Eastern Europe in an unfavorable light, which is a shame as, trust me, Slovakia is a beautiful country. I didn’t stay in a hostel when I went there, mind… More importantly, what’s YOUR view on the torture porn sequel? Did Roth conjure up a satisfyingly brutal follow-up or, despite some tasty FX and fun leads, should it be neutered like that poor fella at the end? Let us know in the comments, and we’ll see you beautiful gore-hounds next time. Thanks for watching!
A couple of the previous episodes of WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? can be seen below. To see more, head over to our JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!
James Gunn is pulling out all the stops for his forthcoming Superman film by shooting the entire feature in IMAX. Unlike garden variety cameras and filming methods, the IMAX format brings audiences closer to the action with breathtaking picture quality, dynamic sound, epic scale, and fidelity. Want to feel the wind whooshing through your spit-curl as Superman soars through a Metropolis sky? IMAX will get you there and then some.
James Gunn revealed his intent to film Superman in IMAX quality today on Threads. In his post, Gunn shares footage from the Norwegian archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, Svalbard. As the song “Speak Vernacular” by The Icons plays, the footage depicts gorgeous snowscapes, wildlife, and water that only Mr. Freeze would swim in. It’s the perfect environment for Superman’s ice-clad clubhouse, The Fortress of Solitude.
Co-chair of DC Studios Peter Safran has teased that Supermanwill not be an origin story and will focus on “Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned.”
David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan star as Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane, respectively. Nicholas Hoult plays Lex Luthor, Milly Alcock plays Kara Zor-El/Supergirl, Isabela Merced plays Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion plays Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Wendell Pierce plays Percy White, Skyler Gisondo plays Jimmy Olsen, Anthony Carrigan plays Rex Mason/Metamorpho, Edi Gathegi plays Mister Terrific, Sara Sampaio plays Eve Teschmacher, Sean Gunn plays Maxwell Lord, and Maria Gabriela de Faria plays Angela Spica/The Engineer.
While speaking with Svalbardposten earlier this month, Gunn revealed that the first scene he filmed for Superman was shot in Svalbard and featured Superman fleeing to the Fortress of Solitude.
“We have filmed the first scenes, which show Superman fleeing to the ice fortress,” Gunn said. “We wanted a place that was beautiful and felt like being in the middle of the Arctic, so we looked at several places in the world. But there were many things that sold Svalbard for us over the other places. First, there is the natural beauty. But there’s also the fact that you’ll find a varied landscape here that you won’t find anywhere else. Nature gives a special feeling.” We’ve seen the Fortress of Solitude many times in previous Superman adaptations, but it’s always a special location.”
Gunn added that they attracted a few curious onlookers, which he’s fine with so long as they’re not trying to sneak photos. “We have had some who have been curious, yes, who have stood and watched,” he said. “But that’s perfectly fine. And that’s a big difference. Because being interested in just watching is something completely different than when you have people trying to sneak into the set to take pictures that they can make money from by selling online.”
Are you excited to hear James Gunn’s Superman is filming entirely in IMAX? Let us know in the comments section below.
The first wave of voice actors for the highly anticipated animated series from CBS Studios, Innersloth, and creator Owen Dennis, Among Us, have been discovered! Randall Park (Fresh Off The Boat, WandaVision), Ashley Johnson (The Last of Us, Fast Food Nation), Yvette Nicole Brown (Community, Pound Puppies), and Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency) lend the voices to the animated madness as four characters acting sus while trying to survive a John Carpenter’s The Thing-style mystery.
Featuring in the adaptation of the wildly popular social deception game is Randall Park as the voice of Red, Captain of the Skeld. Red is a people pleaser and blowhard. As a confident leader, Red is the type of crewmate who will fail upwards.
Ashely Johnson plays Purple, Chief of Security. Concerned with safety, prone to suspicion, and confident, Purple is a crewmember with trust issues.
Yvette Nicole Brown plays Orange and is a member of the HR department. Orange is a “spineless corporate shill” in charge of eliminating redundancies redundantly. Orange will fire you via email before thinking twice about it.
Finally, Elijah Wood plays Green, an unpaid intern. Happy to be aboard, Green does whatever needs doing, with pizza as compensation.
Launched in 2018, Among Us shot to popularity in 2020. Alongside games like Fortnite and Minecraft, Among Us became a gaming sensation for streamers across YouTube (4 billion views) and Twitch (1.2+ billion views). The Among Us video game is primarily a multiplayer experience, though a practice mode where players can check out a solo mystery is available. The best version of Among Us revolves around gathering friends for an elaborate game inspired by the party game Mafia and John Carpenter’s The Thing. Using deduction skills and observing other players is critical to surviving the experience. It also helps if you’re a good liar. Once you become accused of being an imposter, you’ll need to lie your pants off to convince other players of your innocence. The game recently released a new map (The Fungle) and continues to boast millions of players daily.
Owen Dennis executive produces alongside Forest Williard, Marcus Bromander, and Carl Neisser of Innersloth, with Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, Antonio Canobbio, and Ben Kalina of Titmouse. Eye Animation Productions is the studio associated with Innersloth.
Are you an Among Us fan? What do you think about turning the game into an animated series? What sort of tone should the show have? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.
Nine months have gone by since Lionsgate announced that they were moving forward with a Leprechaun “reimagining” that had Felipe Vargas, director of the award-winning short film Milk Teeth, on board to direct. During a new interview with Splattercast, Vargas confirmed that the reimagining is still in development, and that he’s hoping to do something gory, sexy, crazy, and elevated with this property.
Vargas told Splattercast (with thanks to our friends at Bloody Disgusting for the transcription), “I’m so honored to be on that project. It’s such a cool franchise. To me what makes the franchise so special is that it really is limitless. It doesn’t need to be grounded. It can just be gory, sexy, crazy.” He said that they’re still figuring out the tone for this movie and what the balance of horror and comedy will be. “I would love for it to be scary as hell and also hilarious. I think we’re going back to a lot of the roots of Leprechaun in a lot of different ways, which I’m really excited about. But I think you also want to bring on a new audience. So it’s a really tricky one to figure out.” He went on to say he wants to give the film an “elevated vibe” and that he thinks practical effects are very important for the project.
Mike Van Waes, who wrote the novel Peeves and has worked on the upcoming live-action Lilo & Stitch movie, has written the screenplay for the new Leprechaun. Plot details are being kept under wraps.
Roy Lee, whose producing credits include Barbarian and the recent It films, is producing the new Leprechaun through his company Vertigo Entertainment, alongside the company’s Miri Yoon. Meredith Wieck and Jon Humphrey are overseeing for Lionsgate.
Since the Leprechaun reimagining announcement was first made, Vargas has been focused on his feature directorial debut, the high concept horror film Rosario. A release date hasn’t been announced for that one, but a first look image can be seen at the bottom of this article.
Are you a fan of the Leprechaun franchise? What do you think of what Felipe Vargas had to say about his reimagining? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
When you come across a movie like Love Lies Bleeding, it’s more than a pleasant surprise. Frankly, I walked into the screening knowing nothing about the film. That was a treat. Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian are fantastic as lovers with a little revenge on the mind. It also features terrific performances from both Dave Franco and especially, the great Ed Harris. Rose Glass has crafted a smart and thrilling feature that showcases two electric performances from both Stewart and O’Brian. Love Lies Bleeding is currently in theatres and it’s the kind of movie you may want to seek out ASAP.
It’s always fantastic to talk with Kristen Stewart. There is something about a no-nonsense kind of interview, and she is always terrific. For her latest, I sat down with Kristen, Katy O’Brian, and Rose Glass. The three talked about creating these rich characters, and bringing Rose’s vision to life. It’s a bold and thrilling feature, and it’s refreshing to see something like this. It was especially nice to talk with these three wonderfully talented artists. Love Lies Bleeding is a refreshing change of pace and the performances here are stunning. Go see this flick! Read our review here!
Love Lies Bleeding has the following synopsis: From Director Rose Glass comes an electric new love story; reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder headed through town to Vegas in pursuit of her dream. But their love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou’s criminal family.
