Only a month after its premiere, and it would hit theaters in the short month of February, Madame Web has been given a mercy release on digital streaming and is now available to watch at home at your leisure. Madame Web is an incredibly infamous film from Sony that attempted to capitalize on their Spider-Man property. However, the endgame (no pun intended) for this entry is not exactly set up for any kind of crossover with the established Spider-Man movies since it exists in its own continuity. The film’s disastrous reception with its first trailer gave way to a bevy of online jokes and memes in the same way Sony’s Morbius has.
And after all the jokes people made online when the trailer and promotional materials underwhelmed, the film itself would actually elicit a bigger response when the audience found it to be worse than the low expectations it set. Madame Web would get a 12% on Rotten Tomatoes, while the viewer rating topped out at 57%. Those who saw the film were left in awe when the execution of a seemingly simple superhero narrative was not only fumbled, but the decisions the movie made were baffling. Even the face-value appeal of the promise of a superhero team was not fulfilled in the slightest. And this is not even getting to the strange technical flubs in the movie, in which the review from our own Chris Bumbray points out, “a lot of [the villain’s] dialogue was changed in post-production looping. It’s very noticeable and makes him come off as very stiff. “
The movie’s stars have even started to distance themselves from Madame Web. Recently, Sydney Sweeney, whose star is on the rise with movies like Anyone But You and Immaculate, said, “I was just hired as an actress in it, so I was just along for the ride for whatever was going to happen.” And the film’s star Dakota Johnson would express a sincere acceptance as she takes an L on her resume, “Sometimes in this industry, you sign on to something, and it’s one thing and then as you’re making it, it becomes a completely different thing, and you’re like, ‘Wait, what?’…Decisions are being made by committees, and art does not do well when it’s made by committee.”
Madame Web is available to stream now!
DIGITAL EXTRAS* o Gag Reel o Easter Eggs o Oracle Of The Page o Fight Like A Spider o Future Vision o Casting The Web o Deleted Scene
Four years ago, we heard that Luca Bercovici, who wrote and directed the 1984 creature feature Ghoulies, and his co-writer Jefery Levy were trying to get Ghoulies franchise rights holder Sony Pictures to let them reboot the franchise. Now a press release has revealed that Bercovici and Levy have officially reclaimed the domestic rights to Ghoulies and have big plans for the franchise, including making a new trilogy of films!
According to the press release, “The plan is to develop a new film trilogy for a new generation. The team is expanding the Ghoulies universe beyond the silver screen with a book series that will plunge readers into the darkest depths of the Ghoulies universe. Fans can look forward to bringing home a piece of the Ghoulies universe with an exclusive line of figures, apparel, and collectibles for every devotee of the delightfully demonic Ghoulies.“
Bercovici and Levy are working with screenwriter Theo Lemasters to make this all happen. The press release says they’re “poised to unleash an unparalleled wave of horror fun” that will “keep audiences wallowing in filthy horror fun for many years to come.”
The original Ghoulies had the following synopsis: As a child, Jonathan was almost killed by his father, Malcolm, during a satanic ritual. After being saved and raised by Wolfgang, who has kept him unaware of his background, Jonathan inherits Malcolm’s house and moves in with girlfriend Rebecca. During a party, he jokingly performs a ceremony described in one of his father’s books on black magic, not realizing he has unleashed small, demonic creatures known as “Ghoulies.”
Ghoulies (watch it HERE) was followed by three sequels: Ghoulies II (1987), Ghoulies Go to College (1991), and Ghoulies IV (1994). Then the franchise went dormant for thirty years… which is ridiculous. These movies are fun, and it’s been way too long since those little, demonic ghoulies have made their way across our screens. So I’m very glad to hear that Bercovici, Levy, and Lemasters are working to breathe new life into this series.
Are you glad to hear that the Ghoulies franchise is being revived? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
JoBlo.com recently launched a new weekly documentary series called 80s Horror Memories, where each year of the 1980s has five episodes dedicated to it. Looking back at 1980, we discussed Maniac, Dressed to Kill,Alligator, Friday the 13th, The Shining, Prom Night, and The Fog. The second five episodes were a journey through 1981, covering The Funhouse, The Burning, Friday the 13th Part 2,My Bloody Valentine, Halloween II, The Evil Dead, The Howling, and An American Werewolf in London, as well as the careers of horror hosts Elvira and Joe Bob Briggs. The next five were, of course, all about movies that came out in 1982: Conan the Barbarian, The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, and Poltergeist, with an examination of the short-lived 3-D boom along the way.
For 1983, we talked about a trio of Stephen King adaptations, Jaws 3-D, Sleepaway Camp, the rise of TV horror anthologies, and Psycho II. For 1984, we covered the creation of the PG-13 rating, The Terminator, Gremlins, Ghostbusters, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Our trip through 1985 included Teen Wolf, Re-Animator, A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s RevengeFriday the 13th: A New Beginning, Fright Night, Lifeforce, Day of the Dead, and The Return of the Living Dead. For 1986, we covered David Cronenberg’s The Fly, the horror comedies that were released during the year (including Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), Aliens, the connection between horror movies and heavy metal, and David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. For our trip through 1987, we looked at Hellraiser, RoboCop, Predator, Evil Dead II, and The Lost Boys.
Now we’ve reached 1988, and so far we’ve looked at They Live, The Blob, and Beetlejuice. In the latest episode, we’re catching up with horror icon Freddy Krueger and revisiting director Renny Harlin‘s A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master! You can hear all about it in the video embedded above.
New episodes of 80s Horror Memories are released through the YouTube channel JoBlo Horror Originals every Friday.
Here’s the info on 80s Horror Memories: It’s been over 40 years since the decade that shaped the horror movie industry began and having lived through most of those years personally, we at JoBlo/Arrow in the Head have decided to create a 10-part documentary series in which not only cover every nook and cranny of the biggest horror themes from 1980 to 1989 but also what was happening in the world at the time. Join us as we walk down Horror Memory Lane!
And here’s the info on this particular episode: Today we’re focusing on one of the slightly less appreciated entries in the Elm Street series: part 4, The Dream Master. So, after a classic first movie and two decent sequels, could part four continue the slash-happy antics of Freddy K, or is it better left languishing in a bad dream? Well, let’s doze off and face off against everyone’s favorite melty-faced bad guy here on 80s Horror Memories.
This episode of 80s Horror Memories was written by Adam Walton, narrated by Tyler Nichols, edited by Adam Walton, produced by Berge Garabedian and John Fallon, co-produced by Mike Conway, and executive produced by Berge Garabedian. The score was provided by Shawn Knippelberg. Special Guest: Eric Red (The Hitcher).
Let us know what you thought of this episode, plus share some of your own ’80s horror memories by leaving a comment!
Two of the previous episodes of 80s Horror Memories 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!
Made on a budget of less than $100,000, director Rhys Frake-Waterfield’s movie Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey (watch it HERE) earned more than $6 million during its global release in early 2023… and sure, the movie racked up the Razzies, but it’s money that matters, and that’s why Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 is set to receive a three-day theatrical run in the United States on March 26, 27, and 28th, courtesy of Fathom Events, ITN Studios, and Jagged Edge Productions. (Tickets can be purchased online at Fathom Events or at participating theatre box offices.) With the release date swiftly approaching, a couple clips have arrived online to show us Pooh, Tigger, and Christopher Robin in action, and you can check those out on our JoBlo Horror channel. To see Tigger, check out THIS VIDEO. And to see a creepy moment where Pooh comes rising from the ground, CLICK HERE.
A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book Winnie-the-Pooh and the characters in it lapsed into the public domain at the start of last year, and that’s how Frake-Waterfield was able to make these movies happen, no permission required. In the build-up to the release of the first movie, the filmmaker explained to Variety that Pooh and Piglet (go) on a rampage after being abandoned by a college-bound Christopher Robin. “Christopher Robin is pulled away from them, and he’s not [given] them food, it’s made Pooh and Piglet’s life quite difficult. Because they’ve had to fend for themselves so much, they’ve essentially become feral. So they’ve gone back to their animal roots. They’re no longer tame: they’re like a vicious bear and pig who want to go around and try and find prey.”
Matt Leslie, writer/producer of Summer of 84, wrote the screenplay for the sequel, working from a story he crafted with Frake-Waterfield. Here’s the synopsis for Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2: Deep within the 100-Acre-Wood, a destructive rage grows as Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Owl, and Tigger find their home and their lives endangered after Christopher Robin revealed their existence. Not wanting to live in the shadows any longer, the group decides to take the fight to the town of Ashdown, home of Christopher Robin, leaving a bloody trail of death and mayhem in their wake. Winnie and his savage friends will show everyone that they are deadlier, stronger, and smarter than anyone could ever imagine and get their revenge on Christopher Robin, once and for all.
The film stars Ryan Oliva, Scott Chambers, Eddy Mackenzie, Marcus Massey, Tallulah Evans, Kelly Rian Sanson, Simon Callow, Alec Newman, Nicola Wright, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, Lewis Santer, Tade Adebaio, and Nichaela Farrel.
Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey are planning to create a cinematic universe with the Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey films and other horror movies inspired by children’s stories, like Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare and Bambi: The Reckoning.
Are you looking forward to Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2? Take a look at the clips, then let us know by leaving a comment below.
Director Andy Muschietti and his producer / sister Barbara Muschietti, the filmmaking team behind Mama and the $1 billion grossing adaptations of Stephen King’s It, have now teamed up with Skydance to launch a label called Nocturna, which will be focused on making “high quality genre features for global audiences in both theatrical and streaming, with the goal of producing two films per year.” The Hollywood Reporter broke the news, and also revealed that the first feature being developed for the Nocturna label is called They Will Kill You.
Written by Kirill Sokolov and Alex Litvak, They Will Kill You is set to be directed by Sokolov, who previously wrote and directed the 2019 Russian-language action comedy Why Don’t You Just Die. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new film is said to be a “horror feature laced with the black humor that is Sokolov’s trademark.” The story centers on a woman who answers a help wanted ad to be a housekeeper in a mysterious high-rise in New York City, not realizing she is entering a community that has seen a number of disappearances over the years.
The Muschiettis provided a short statement about Nocturna: “Under this label, we are excited to deliver the full range of emotions that our movies pack: Heart, humor and horror.“
Dana Goldberg, Skydance’s chief creative officer, added: “Andy and Barbara are visionary filmmakers who have mastered the art of scary event movies that connect with global audiences, and David and I along with the entire Skydance team are thrilled to partner with them on the launch of Nocturna. It’s fitting that They Will Kill You will be our first project, as it perfectly encapsulates Nocturna’s mission of delivering unique and entertaining horror experiences that will live in the audiences’ nightmares for years.“
Nocturna will be run by Russell Ackerman and John Schoenfelder, who will be acting as co-heads of film. Ackerman and Schoenfelder will be producers on the films alongside the Muschiettis, Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger, and former Orion executive Dan Kagan.
Are you glad to hear Andy and Barbara Muschietti will be heading up a new genre label at Skydance? Share your thoughts on Nocturna by leaving a comment below.
1991’s Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country saw the last voyage of the original Enterprise crew that graced TV screens in the 60s. Since Star Trek: The Next Generation became the successor to the original series on the Fox Network, so Paramount would have the OG Captain pass the torch to Patrick Stewart’s Jean-Luc Picard with the transitional film Star Trek: Generations. In doing so, the film would seal the fate of Captain Kirk as he dies trying to save Picard’s crew. There is a moment where Picard finds Kirk in his final moments, and now, William Shatner opens up about how he feels that scene didn’t get his best-intended performance.
ScreenRant got to sit down with the legendary actor for his new retrospective documentary You Can Call Me Bill. Shatner spoke about what he sees when he watches that scene and how he’s not satisfied, “The thing an actor can bring to a written word is the interpretation of how to say it. I love you. I love you. I love you. Variations on the words. So if the writer has written I love you, and the actor gets a hold of it and does something totally unthought of, that’s a big deal. The director either gets upset or goes with it. In this case, I thought of Kirk as being so courageous in life that when he faced things that he didn’t know about, like the strange, the weird… the entities that the writers thought up, when he faced death, he would face death with a sense of adventure. ‘Oh, what’s going to happen now?’ So I ad libbed, Oh my.’ And I wanted that ‘Oh my’ to be ‘Oh my,’ like, dreading it but, but looking forward to the adventure – somewhere in between, you know, and it would be very obvious to you what he was thinking. And I never quite hit it. I never quite got that nuance that I was looking for. I had another couple of takes, but they they didn’t understand what I was doing.”
The interviewer for ScreenRant tries to reassure Shatner that there is some of that wonder that he wanted to convey. They would tell Shatner, “I’ve seen that scene so many times. I do feel it. I feel Kirk seeing the great beyond, the great mystery. And I do feel that he meets it with that curiosity…” To which Shatner adds, “…And awe and wonder. Every time he faced an animal, an entity, he didn’t say, ‘Oh my’ [with fear or disdain], he would say, ‘Oh, my look at that. I wonder if it’s going to eat me?’ You know? I think that was his attitude.”
You Can Call Me Bill is set to release on March 22.
PLOT: An adventure racer adopts a stray dog named Arthur to join him in an epic endurance race.
REVIEW: I was unaware of the true story of Arthur The King initially but after being subjected to the trailer about 9000 times over the course of the past few months, I felt like I knew it well. It looked like your typical inspirational movie. Or as my nephew knows it: the dog movie. Because it’s hard to categorize this as anything else. Sure, there’s adventure racing but this dog is a full-blown character here and takes center stage in the narrative. And it goes about how you would expect.
Arthur the King follows Mikael Lindnord (Wahlberg) and his team of adventure racers. During his last race ever and last chance at completing a life goal, a stray dog joins them on their journey. If you saw the trailer, then chances are you know exactly how this one is going to go. I’d argue that’s one of the biggest issues: its predictability. However, there’s a whole other argument to make about whether predictability really matters in a wholesome film like this. Regardless, it can be a little frustrating with how stale the movie is, treading all too familiar paths.
Despite playing a real-life human being, Mark Wahlberg is his usual self here. I’m sure there are a ton of parallels between the two people in reality, but it’s hard not to notice the pattern in Wahlberg’s career. He really likes to play driven characters that defy the odds through sheer willpower. But I won’t deny that it mostly works as he usually fits well into that role. And when one of your primary scene partners is a dog, it’s not the easiest task to be taken seriously. He makes most of it work though, and that’s commendable.
Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Ali Suliman make up the rest of the team and do a good job. Their athleticism was believable, even if their characters were a bit on the nose. They all get those stereotypical “recruiting the team” introductions, but that’s most of the development that they get. This is really all about Mikael and his dog. And if you can’t handle corny cheeseball moments, then like myself, it probably won’t be for you.
The few moments of big action aren’t handled very well, with very obvious green screen standing out in a zipline sequence. There’s one moment that involved a CGI dog that was one of the most unintentionally funny things I’ve witnessed in a theater. I’m not sure if it was just so jarring from the rest of the film but it was so corny, I couldn’t believe they were going through with it. And this could be said for a lot of the dog stuff. I knew he would play a big role but I wasn’t expecting so much of his time on the streets. Adding in some rival dogs and this almost feels like a Disney movie. The dog is emotive in a way that only a movie dog can be, and it was hard not to cringe a bit.
Arthur the King absolutely suffers from being overly predictable but I think that’s par for the course for this kind of movie. People are coming for the tearjerking and heartfelt moments. This is the kind of movie that your grandparents will love. But anyone looking for a little bit more is going to be disappointed. The corny and heartfelt moments are enough to warrant a light tear but it’s anything but subtle in its approach. Like most of Wahlberg’s filmography these days, this is an average movie that will be forgotten by next year.
ARTHUR THE KING IS PLAYING IN THEATERS ON MARCH 15TH, 2024.
What’s so civil about war anyway? Well, nothing, but if we’re talking about Alex Garland’s new movie, Civil War, there is a lot of common ground to be found, as social media’s first reactions out of its SXSW premiere have heaped a ton of praise on the film, citing the sheer tensity, timely themes and a final act that isn’t to be missed.
Check out some of the reactions to Civil War below:
I swear when I tell you I was on the edge of my seat for the last quarter of this film. Insanely tense stuff. A cautionary tale? Sure. Lots to discuss & debate, but the film doesn’t have an agenda except to remind us that when it all falls apart, the journalists will be there to… pic.twitter.com/x79nwcUS6M
Alex Garland’s CIVIL WAR is a masterpiece. My heart was constantly racing and my jaw was on the floor by the final act. Get rid of any expectations you have and see it in the loudest theater possible. #SXSWpic.twitter.com/LAkQ377SyC
While only a small selection of professional reviews have landed, Civil War sits at a 78% on Rotten Tomatoes as of publication, a fine start overall for Garland’s fourth feature. While not initially landing like his debut, Ex Machina, or his outstanding follow-up Annihilation, it is an improvement over is previous effort, 2022’s Men. But right off the bat, it’s great to see that Civil War does look to be living up to the trailer, which immediately makes me more excited for it.
Civil War just ended and I feel a little shaky. It’s a real assault on the senses.
I’m speechless, Alex Garland’s Civil War is not only the best movie of the year but the most important. A haunting story that’s beautifully shot and led by a tremendous cast. There is nothing quite like it and you’re not ready. A true modern masterpiece! #sxswpic.twitter.com/l8hEzhQltp
In Civil War, “19 states secede from the United States, with factions forming in the West and Florida. Meanwhile, the President says the conflict will be dealt with swiftly, but are things already impossible to control? While some choose to engage with the catastrophe head-on, others prefer to pretend like it’s not happening right outside their door. As the President sends the American military out to “resolve” matters in the West, people are left to despair as the world burns around them. Meanwhile, Kirsten Dunst’s character appears to be leading a team of journalists toward the U.S. Capitol, presumably to get answers about how they plan to quell the ongoing violence.”
With such prescient ideas that we won’t be able to help but find links to certain recent events in American history, such a film like Civil War will no doubt connect with its intended audience. Judging by the reactions out of its SXSW on Thursday night, this holds. Having not seen the film yet, it does seem as if Garland – a Brit – is not taking any direct sides in this A24 production, trusting his loyal fanbase.
Civil War is set to break into theaters on April 12th.
What do you think of the first reactions to Civil War? Are you more looking forward to it than before? Let us know!
Writer/director Damien Leone had a budget of around $55,000 to work with on his breakout horror film Terrifier, and a budget of “a little over” $250,000 for Terrifier 2, which was a massive hit when it was released in 2022, earning $15.1 million at the box office. Since the second film did so well, it’s no surprise that a Terrifier 3 is right around the corner. In fact, the film is on track to reach theatres this Halloween season, on October 25th. In anticipation of the film’s release, we’ve decided to put together a list of the information we’ve heard so far. Keep scrolling to find out Everything We Know About Terrifier 3!
SETTING
While the previous two films were set around Halloween, and the new sequel is still getting a Halloween release, this one is changing the setting. The supernatural slasher Art the Clown is going to be ruining Christmas in a film that has the following synopsis: Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.
The Christmas setting is the focus of a teaser trailer that was put together months before Terrifier 3 actually went into production:
CASTAND CHARACTERS
The names of the new additions to the cast haven’t been revealed yet, but it has been confirmed that David Howard Thornton reprises the role of Art the Clown, while Lauren LaVera is back as Terrifier 2 heroine Sienna and Elliot Fullam returns as Sienna’s brother Jonathan. Samantha Scaffidi is returning as Terrifier and Terrifier 2 character Victoria Heyes. Chris Jericho, who had a cameo in Terrifier 2, is also back in Terrifier 3 – but he has let everyone know that his appearance in the film won’t last very long. So we can probably expect to see Art make a bloody mess of him early on. Leone told Deadline, “(Chris Jericho) is super excited. This one is going to pick up where part two left off, in the insane asylum, so, you’re going to see what transpires there, what mayhem unfolds, because seeing how Art and Victoria ended up, is so insane, and seeing how they get out of that situation and what happens next is going to be really wild. So, we have to get Chris back in there and see how he becomes a part of that situation.“
As for new characters… a while back, industry scooper Daniel Richtman has shared a batch of character descriptions (put together for the casting process) that give some details on the potential victims we’ll be meeting in the movie:
[ GABBIE ] 12-15 years old, Female, white – Gabbie is energetic, precocious, sometimes sassy and full of life. A young girl curious about the world beyond her peaceful suburban life. She is Sienna and Jonathan’s cousin, and idolizes Sienna like the big sister she never had…SUPPORTING LEAD
[ JESSICA ] 40s – early 50s, Female, white – aka Aunt Jess, she is Sienna and Jonathan’s aunt; she’s smart, stable and empathetic with the heart of a fighter, but unliker her late-sister Barbara (Terrifier 2), she has a gentle soul. As wife to Greg and mom to Gabbie, Jess is the glue that holds her small family together…SUPPORTING LEAD
[ GREG ] 40s – early 50s, Male, white – aka Uncle Greg; he is your all-American “everyone’s favorite uncle” type of guy; a solid, loving provider for his wife (Jessica) and daughter (Gabbie). The “cool dad”. He’s a well kept man with a strong, athletic physique…SUPPORTING LEAD
[ COLE ] 18-22 years old, Male, open ethnicity – Cole is Jonathan’s college roommate. The cool guy to Jonathan’s nerd. The “bro”. Cole and his girlfriend Mia have a big, loud energy when they are together that can be magnetic or turn sinister and obnoxious. The role requires a shower scene of intimate nature and partial nudity (back/buttocks)…SUPPORTING
[ MIA ] 18-22 years old, Female, open ethnicity – Mia is Cole’s girlfriend; a cute, fun, popular, college girl with a bit of a mean streak. Mia and Cole have a big, loud energy when they are together that can be magnetic or turn sinister and obnoxious. The role requires a shower scene of intimate nature and partial nudity (back/buttocks/side)…SUPPORTING
TONE
Terrifier 3 is actually the fourth feature with Art the Clown in it. Before making Terrifier, Leone introduced the character (then played by Mike Giannelli) in short films that were included in the 2013 horror anthology All Hallows’ Eve. When he was gearing up for the third film, Leone said, “One of my main goals for Terrifier 3 is to recapture the creep factor present in the original Terrifier short film. That had a genuinely spooky atmosphere that I’m still proud of. If all goes as planned, part 3 will be the scariest Terrifier thus far.”
The filmmaker is also aiming to make the third film more like the first Terrifier feature. Speaking with Variety, he said Terrifier 3 will “shift back a bit to the tone of Part One, which I felt was a little more simplistic and old school, gritty slasher. I want this one to go back in that direction, and I want this to be the scariest one of the trilogy. This one will actually have a little bit more of an evil overtone to it, so this is going to be hopefully the scariest and the darkest. I want it to feel as if the audience coming into this one isn’t as comfortable with Art the Clown as they feel they are now. I want to see if I can make them really scared of him again.”
Terrifier 2 went heavy on the supernatural elements. As Leone described it to Insider, “There’s blatant religious mythic imagery, clear as day. There is a heaven and hell thing going on. And the clown is this resurrected demon and Sienna is slowly becoming aware that she’s sort of this Old Testament angel ready to do battle and going through that metamorphosis.” When asked if he has received constructive criticism on Terrifier 2 that he’s keeping in mind for the next sequel, he replied, “I wanted Part Two to have a Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors vibe to it. That was my tone in the back of my head and I knew I was really going to embrace this supernatural and fantasy element. I also knew I was going to alienate a handful of fans going that route. I personally love it. There’s a lot of people who didn’t love the fantasy, or at least they need more explanation as to why that’s all happening. I didn’t want to explain everything in Part Two, so I am going to explain as we go. But the biggest mistake I could do now is double-down on that fantasy aspect. That’s why I want to course-correct a bit; let’s go back to Nightmare on Elm Street Part One, as opposed to going further into Dream Warriors. That could be very helpful criticism and help me make a better movie moving forward. But we’ll see.” Leone is also aiming to make sure the new film has a running time under two hours (Terrifier 2 was 138 minutes).
Leone is also working to make sure there’s an element of fun to all of this. He told The Hollywood Reporter, “I always want there to be levity. Art the Clown needs to be his charming, quirky self. I want the audience to know this is just a fictional world. We are here to have fun, and I don’t want them leaving the theater feeling miserable. But at the same time, there is a way to make this one seem as if you’ve never even met Art the Clown before. That’s how I want the audience to feel. I want them to feel like this is a very terrifying, unpredictable character, and while you think you might know him, you don’t know what’s coming.“
GORE
The Terrifier films are known for their moments of extreme gore, and Terrifier 3 isn’t going to be any different. Since this one has a budget of “a couple million”, Leone has brought in a Hollywood FX team to help him create the nauseating effects. (For the previous films, all of the bloodshed was provided by Leone and producer Phil Falcone.) He has said he’s aiming to make this one the goriest, most sadistic, most depraved film of the bunch. “If you thought Art the Clown’s reign of terror in part 2 was extreme, you haven’t seen anything yet.“
PRODUCTION
Terrifier 3 started filming in early February 2024, and will probably be wrapping up any day now, if it hasn’t already. Leone shared a couple shots of Art the Clown while they were in the midst of filming:
And that’s everything we know about Terrifier 3 at this point. Are you looking forward to this supernatural slasher sequel? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
I honestly never expected that a Sonic the Hedgehog cinematic universe would be a thing, but here we are. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 kicked off production last year, and James Marsden recently spoke with The Playlist and confirmed that filming has just wrapped.
“Yeah, we just wrapped, actually!” Marsden said. “I feel really proud of what we created, and the response from the fans, we just had to get the animation right on that first movie, but great family, all positive. Jim’s just having a ball, he’s in his inspiration zone… So it’s a joy to watch him have a good time, like really enjoying it again. It’s great, very lucky to be a part of it, and I think fans are gonna be excited about all the new characters.“
Marsden also happened to mention that the production was near the same stages where Deadpool & Wolverine was shooting, which prompted a reaction from the interviewer. Marsden quickly added, “Yeah, this is a little bit of a Pandora’s box.” Does this mean he’ll be making a cameo as Cyclops in the Deadpool sequel?
James Marsden reprises his role as Tom Wachowski in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the sheriff of Green Hills. Other returning cast members include Ben Schwartz as Sonic the Hedgehog, Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Miles “Tails” Prower, Idris Elba as Knuckles the Echidna, Tika Sumpter as Maddie Wachowski, Tom Butler as Commander Walters, Lee Majdoub as Agent Stone, and, of course, Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik. New members of the cast include Krysten Ritter, James Wolk, Sofia Pernas, Cristo Fernández, and Jorma Taccone, as well as Alyla Browne, who is said to be playing Maria. Shadow the Hedgehog will also make an appearance after being teased in the mid-credits scene of the previous movie.
Before we get to Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the next installment of the franchise will actually be Knuckles, a six-episode series set to premiere on Paramount+. The series takes place between the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and “follows Knuckles (Elba) on a hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade (Adam Pally) as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior.” Knuckles will debut on April 26th, followed by Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on December 20th.
SXSW (@cultureelixir) 
