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This week in horror – News round up 05.02.21

This weeks horror news round up is brought to you by Grace at Film Overload!

The Midnight Club’s cast line-up finally revealed

Image result for the midnight club

Mike Flanagan has become a beloved horror mastermind in recent years, with outstanding hits such as Oculus (2013), Hush (2016), The Haunting of Hill House (2018) and The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020) all residing within his extensive filmography. His latest project The Midnight Club has been closely watched since its announcement; now we’ve finally got a taste of what to expect as the cast has been released.

Top cast names include Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Zach Gilford (The Purge: Anarchy) and Matt Biedel (Phoenix Forgotten).

This exciting new Netflix series is based upon the 1994 Christopher Pike book under the same name. The story follows a mismatched group of five terminally ill patients who all reside at Rotterdam Home, and to keep themselves entertained they all meet at midnight to tell the scariest of tales.

Cloverfield sequel in the works

The found footage hit Cloverfield (2008) recently celebrated its 12 year anniversary earlier this year. Although the success of the original film spanned two semi-linked follow ups, we have yet to receive a direct sequel. However, the long awaited plans for Cloverfield 2 have been officially announced.

Unlike the original, the sequel will not be a found footage style horror. Although this is certain we are still majorly kept in the dark about the events of the film in regards to whether it will focus solely upon sci-fi elements or be a straight horror. Another confirmed detail is that J.J. Abrams will return to produce this highly anticipated sequel.

Viggo Mortensen joins forces yet again with David Cronenberg for an upcoming horror

David Cronenberg is a horror auteur, with his signature body horror style creating some of the most memorable films within the genre. Viggo Mortensen has recently stated that Cronenberg will return to the genre with an upcoming project they have been working on.

Cronenberg and Mortensen have previously worked together on Eastern Promises (2007) and A History of Violence (2005). Although these two films were drama based, Mortensen has hinted that this upcoming project goes back to Cronenberg’s horror roots, with the script being written quite a long time ago.

‘Censor’ becomes a firm favourite at this years Sundance festival

Sundance Film Festival has notoriously created buzz around some of the most iconic modern horrors including Hereditary (2018) and It Follows (2014). At this year’s virtual festival the same fate has been met by the upcoming social-commentary based horror ‘Censor’ (Prano Bailey-Bond). Censor follows a film censor who embarks on a mission to discover what happened to her missing sister.

The film thrives upon the video nasty hysteria that plagued the 1980s, this culturally significant event caused havoc upon the industry. Censor reclaims this panic through utilising the event as a backbone to portray the complex narrative. Censor does not have a confirmed release date, but we suspect it will be released at some point later this year.

This weeks article comes via Grace from Film Overload, you can check out more of her work here.

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This week in horror – News round up 30.1.21

This weeks horror news round up comes from Grace at Film Overload!

Frightfest hit ‘The Columnist’ sees a March release

The Columnist and How Horror Fandom Prepares Us for Crisis – /Film

The 2020 Frightfest Film Festival saw a lot of hits make their debut, however one that stood out from the bunch is The Columnist (Ivo van Aart). This slightly satirised tale of vengeance tells the story of Femke Boot (Katja Herbers), an established newspaper columnist who is suffering from a terrible case of writer’s block.

But, her life soon gains back some speed after she exacts brutal and bloody revenge on her abusive tormentors when their online harassment pushes her over the edge. Soon audiences will get a taste of this aggressive tale as The Columnist is lined up for a brief theatrical run and a direct VOD release in March.

Latest trailer for Paradise Cove promises a thrilling excursion into the unhinged

The highly anticipated upcoming horror Paradise Cove shows Mena Suvari and Todd Grinnell battle it out with a deranged woman who unknowingly lives underneath their floor boards. Suvari and Grinnel star as a married couple who move to a luxurious Malibu residence to renovate a disheveled house, however their harmony is soon disrupted when a mysterious woman makes herself known. The trailer pays homage to nostalgic 1990s cat and mouse home thrillers. This psychological thrill is set to be released via VOD mid-February.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh6LOgCphEI

Shudder premiers a total of 11 original films across 11 weeks

The go-to horror streaming service Shudder announces its plans to premiere a whopping 11 films all within 11 weeks. Hunted, The Queen of Black Magic, A Nightmare Wakes, After Midnight, Shook, The Dark & the Wicked, Lucky, Stay Out of the F**king Attic, Slaxx, Koko-di Koko-da and Violation are all set to hit our screens very soon.

More Importantly, these films aim to present audiences with a refreshing hit of originality, with each film representing independent filmmaking and deriving from over five different counties. Shudder has been churning out hits for a while, but 2020 saw the release of Host, Impetigore and Anything for Jackson; all which saw critical and audience acclaim. Fingers crossed for the same success with the new releases.

Eli Roth’s History of Horror renewed for a third season

Eli Roth is the director of horror smash hits including Cabin Fever, Hostel and Green Inferno. With his experience in the genre comes a distinct level of knowledge and expertise, and it seems that his voyage in presenting an unnerving study into horror’s most iconic monsters and subtopics has only just started.

History of Horror’s has been officially renewed for a third season; both the first and second season guest starred a plethora of horror masterminds including scholars, filmmakers and award winning actors. Although it’s highly entertaining to watch our favourite stars discuss the grisly details of beloved films, one aspect that takes center stage in every episode is the discussion regarding the rooted societal and cultural repercussions that horror has.

Despite the details surrounding the new season being rather hushed, we can be certain that season three will be the most haunting and darkest yet.

Willy’s Wonderland showcases villainous puppets battling a chaotic Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage has become a modern day horror extraordinaire, with his roles in films such as Mom and Dad (2017), Mandy (2018) and Colour Out of Space (2020) showcasing him in the most disorderly brutal form.

But now we get to see Cage in his most wild role yet. Willy’s Wonderland is an action packed horror directed by Kevin Lewis. The film follows Cage as a mysterious janitor who works the night-shift at a once thriving entertainment establishment. But, when the centre’s animatronics come to life he must fight for his life in the bloodiest of battles. Willy’s Wonderland is set for a February release via VOD.

This weeks article comes via Grace from Film Overload, you can check out more of her work here.

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This week in horror – News round up 19.12.20

This weeks horror news round up comes from Grace at Film Overload!

Wrong Turn trailer brings back The Foundation in the long awaited reboot

The Wrong Turn series has gone from one gritty horror released 17 years ago to a mass recognised franchise, with a seventh instalment being released next year. When news broke that the Wrong Turn series was to be continued fans immediately rejoiced, and it seems that they were right too as the new trailer for the upcoming flick promises a blood soaked thrilling chase.

The basic premise is simple, but effective; we see Jen (Charlotte Vega) alongside a group of friends who take on the brave decision of hiking the Appalachian Trail. But as with all the Wrong Turn movies the situation is never as it seems, as they are soon confronted by a disturbed group known as The Foundation. Quite interestingly this instalment will not just be another sequel, but instead a reimagining of the first film. Wrong Turn will be released in January 2021.

Ben Wheatley’s In the Earth releases teaser trailer

A teaser trailer for Ben Wheatley’s new horror ‘In the Earth’ has dropped, which shows us a hint into the foreboding slow burn terror that is sure to ensue. Quite aptly the film follows a virus based storyline in which we see a park scout and a scientist on a routine trip into the forest for equipment. However, the earth around them really does have a life of its own.

Wheatley’s environmental based horror is sure to please audiences as his two of his previous ventures into horror, Kill List (2011) and A Field in England (2013) both use rural settings as a unique storytelling device. Wheatley rather quietly filmed In the Earth throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, with a surprise announcement that the film will have its premiere in 2021 at the Sundance Film Festival.

FX developing Alien the TV show

When Ridley Scott’s Alien hit screens in 1979, it was an immediate hit with the film soon becoming a critically beloved classic. Its reputation has only continued to soar with a tv series being produced based off of the iconic sci-fi horror. Disney recently announced that writer Noah Hawley, whose previous credits include Fargo and Legion is set to recreate Scott’s terrifying vision of an undiscovered alien colony.

The series has been promised to be just as thrilling and fast paced as the original, with FX developing the series to pay homage to Scott’s vision as much as possible. An official release date has not been confirmed, but it is expected to be sometime next year.

New revenge horror Violation is set for a Shudder release

Shudder has acquired the rights for the new revenge horror Violation. The film is directed by Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli, with Sims-Fewer also starring as the brave Miriam who takes it upon herself to exact revenge. Violation promises a torturously emotive horror that tackles bold toxic topics involving sexual violence and gaslighting.

The film has received rave reviews so far, with Sims Fewer receiving the TIFF Rising Star award as well as the Sundance Film Festival 2021 picking it up for its international premiere.
Shudder will showcase Violation in New Zealand, UK, Ireland, Australia and the US next year.

This weeks article comes via Grace from Film Overload, you can check out more of her work here.

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This week in horror – News round up 13.12.20

This weeks horror news round up comes from Grace at Film Overload!

Halloween Kills officially rated R, with Michael Myers promising a bloody Halloween

After the beloved Halloween franchise was rebooted in 2018, David Gordon Green was immediately signed to make another two films to continue Michael Myers’ sick game of fulfilment. And it seems that the upcoming Halloween Kills will bring us one of the most graphic entries throughout the entire series. The film has officially been rated R by the Motion Picture Association, which will not be suitable for anyone under the age of 18 due to violent images and grisly content.

The highly anticipated sequel will continue from where its predecessor left, with us following Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) as she battles the unstoppable Myers alongside Haddonfield residents in a vengeful mob style hunt. Also making an appearance are the characters of Tommy Doyle and Lindsay Wallace (Anthony Michael Hall and Kyle Richards) who featured heavily in the original 1978 as the children who Laurie babysat on the night where it all started.

Hocus Pocus 2 confirmed for a Disney+ release

Fans of the classic Halloween favorite rejoice as the long awaited Hocus Pocus 2 is finally announced. Since 1993 the Sanderson sisters have become cult classic characters, with the film garnering quite the successful reputation. Adam Shankman (Rock of Ages and Hairspray) is set to direct, alongside Shankman is Jen D’Angelo (Workaholics) who will be responsible for writing the sequel. Speaking of sequels, whether or not this will be a direct sequel with the story from the original being directly continued or not is yet to be revealed. But what we do know is that Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy will reunite once again to wreak havoc upon the town of Salem.

Shudder brings the festivity to horror, with both Joe Bob Briggs and Creepshow Christmas special

Shudder embraces the Christmas season with both ‘A Creepshow Holiday Special’ and ‘Joe Bob Saves Christmas’ premiering on Shudder this December. Creepshow fans were given an animated special for Halloween, which generated mixed responses, but with restrictions easing the upcoming holiday special will return back to live-action filmmaking.

In a trailer released earlier this week we get a glimpse of all the chaos that ensues, with the plot revolving around one long segment ‘Shapeshifters Anonymous’. The story follows a troubled man seeking answers over his unusual situation… Greg Nicotero’s Creepshow Holiday Special premieres on Shudder on December 18th.

Festive horror is a difficult subject to tackle, so why not have the legendary Bob Briggs go through the best and the worst of the bunch in The Last Drive In Christmas special ‘Joe Bob Saves Christmas’. Little has been released about what films will be discussed, but firm contenders could be Black Christmas (Bob Clark, 1974), Silent Night, Deadly Night (Charles Sellier, 1984), and Christmas Evil (Lewis Jackson, 1980). The special premieres on Shudder on December 11th.

Neil Marshall’s new periodic horror ‘The Reckoning‘ set for a February 2021 release

Neil Marshall shook the horror genre with his incredibly influential film The Descent (2005), and his natural talent for creating claustrophobic environments plagued by evil forces is continued with his latest film The Reckoning which is set in early 17th century Britain; a time where both the plague and witch hunts were rife. Suitably the film follows a young woman as she is accused of being a witch after her husband’s passing.

Marshall carefully evokes terror through utilising the natural environment’s dark aesthetic to exaggerate the horror and provoke a sense of atmospheric inescapable dread. If the early rave reviews from Fantasia International Film Festival 2020 are anything to go by audiences are in for a treat for its release both theatrically and via VOD in early February 2021.

This weeks article comes via Grace from Film Overload, you can check out more of her work here.

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This week in horror – News round up 05.12.20

This weeks horror news round up comes from Grace at Film Overload!

Peter Dinklage to star in The Toxic Avenger Remake

Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage is set to star in the upcoming Toxic Avenger remake. His role has not yet been revealed, but fans hope he stars as the film’s anti-hero lead. The Troma Entertainment produced classic was released in 1984 and was rather ignored until it eventually became somewhat of a cult hit, with multiple sequels and a TV series following.

The remake has been in talks since 2010, however after a series of setbacks the wheels have finally started turning as Macon Blair is set to write and direct. Blair made his directorial debut in 2017 with the gripping crime drama I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore. What’s even more promising is that Troma founders Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz are producing the upcoming remake.

Suspiria co-writer and legendary Giallo star Daria Nicolodi tragically passes away

Daria Nicolodi was an iconic horror legend, with her talents breaching into both acting and writing. Nicolodi alongside her partner Dario Argento wrote the Italian classic Suspiria (1977). Continuing on from the success the two continued their collaboration with her starring in many Giallo staples including Tenebrae (1982), Opera (1987), and Phenomena (1985).

Gremlins 3 is in the works, with the script in finalisation stages

The Shocking Original Plan for Gizmo In 'Gremlins' - Bloody Disgusting

As with most cinema successes a chance of continuation is always in the works and Gremlins is no exception. The return of the beloved mogwai’s have been talked about for years, but this week we were given a promising hint that the series may soon turn into a trilogy, with Gremlins writer Chris Columbus revealing that an entire script has been written.

2020 marks 30 years since the last Gremlins film, but with this news it is definitely possible that Gizmo will soon return to our screens.

Horror royalty Robert Englund joins the cast of Stranger Things

Stranger Things has become one of the biggest television hits since it premiered on Netflix in 2016. With three seasons behind it’s belt and a fourth in the running it seems that even major stars such as Robert Englund couldn’t resist joining in on the action.

Englund is known for his role as the evil yet loveable Freddy Krueger in the classic A Nightmare on Elm Street (Wes Craven, 1984). His villainous triumph will only continue as he will play the convicted murderer Victor Creel. Stranger Things has returned to filming, with an expected release date sometime next year.

An exciting week for horror as Host gets a general release and Freaky hits VOD

Although 2020 has seen many productions come to a halt, an array of amazing films have still been released. Despite the short time that Freaky and Host experienced in cinemas it seems that avid viewers will get a chance to watch them yet again. The sensational superhit Host became a major success when it landed on Shudder earlier this year.

Since it’s release director Rob Savage and writers Jed Shepherd and Gemma Hurley have signed on to create three films with Blumhouse Productions. One of Blumhouse’s latest releases Freaky also came as quite the surprise, with rave reviews flooding its consensus.
If you didn’t get the chance to check these films out, Host will have a wide theatrical release on the 4th December and Freaky will be released via VOD on the 4th December.

This weeks article comes via Grace from Film Overload, you can check out more of her work here.

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This week in horror – News round up 21.11.20

This weeks horror news round up comes from Grace at Film Overload!

Scream 5 update: filming has officially wrapped and titled revealed…

In 1996 an entire genre was revived with Wes Craven’s Scream. So it’s no surprise that the series is being expanded with a fifth film being added to the series. With the exciting news being released earlier this year fans have been on the edge of their seat waiting for some new information. And it seems we can finally get some details, with the original Scream writer Kevin Williamson revealing via Twitter that filming has wrapped up with an expected release date of January 2022.

Alongside this he teased us with the official name of the long awaited fifth film- Scream. Although simple and the exact same as the film that started it all, it nails the satirical simplicity that Craven perfected all those years ago.

Another Stephen King adaptation is in the works with ‘The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon’ being given the go ahead

Stephen King’s iconic status as a horror legend is impossible to escape, with over eighty of his books and novellas being adapted for cinema. It seems that King has done it again as his 1999 book ‘The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon’ is set to come to life, with production beginning sometime next year.

The good news only continues as Lynne Ramsay is set to direct. This name may sound familiar as she is no stranger to novel adaptations, her filmography boasts the incredibly successful adaptations of We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011) and You Were Never Really Here (2017). With this in mind we can be assured that King’s work is in safe hands.

The box office is taken by storm with Christopher Landon’s ‘Freaky’

From the outset ‘Freaky’ soared in popularity, with the trailer receiving worldwide attention and millions of views on YouTube. It was only a matter of time till these roaring figures burst through when the film was released earlier this month. Freaky takes on the challenge of humorous entertainment alongside the gory slasher, with many describing the film as Freaky Friday meets Friday the 13th.

It was a brave decision to run this film through a theatrical release after all of the necessary restrictions that 2020 bought, but it seems to have worked freakishly well for Landon. However, it is entirely understandable as to why the film drew in such crowds as Landon’s craft for quick witted comedy whilst amplifying the scares emerged through his previous titles including the phenomenally successful Happy Death Day (2017).

Jordan Peele will return in 2022 with a new horror following both ‘Get Out’ (2017) ‘Us’ (2019) success

It has been revealed that Jordan Peele’s film production company Monkeypaw Productions will release his third horror in 2022. In 2017 Peele took both critics and audiences by surprise with the beloved Get Out, the film even made cinematic history with it receiving four Academy Award nomination, with Peele earning Best Original Screenplay.

His success only continued with the smash hit Us. Little information has been released about his future project, but if his history gives us anything to work from we are ensured a craftly executed film laden with deep social commentary on the current socio-political climate.

This weeks article comes via Grace from Film Overload, you can check out more of her work here.

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This week in horror – News round up 15.09.20

This weeks horror news round up comes from Grace at Film Overload!

Netflix Halloween line up revealed

Many horror fans will be counting down the days until Halloween and what better to accompany these crisp Autumn nights then a spooky selection of great horror films coming to Netflix this October. Some genre familiars such as The Conjuring (James Wan, 2013) and Paranormal Activity 4 (Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost, 2012) will be greeting our screens at the beginning of October.

Alongside this we’ll be introduced to a handful of new films such as the chilling Norweigan flick Cadaver (Jarand Herdal, 2020) which follows a family attending a nuclear aftermath charity event that soon takes a dark turn. Also we have His House (Remi Weekes, 2020) where we are introduced to a refugee couple escaping South Sudan, only to discover the quaint English village they stop in has an evil presence lying beneath them. Netflix are sure to release a more detailed list brimming with Halloween favourites so be sure to keep checking our weekly news round-up for further information.

Team behind The Ritual gets the green light for the book adaption of No One Gets Out Alive

2017’s The Ritual (David Bruckner) soon cemented its place as a modern British folk horror dealing with traditional folklore and mythology. The film came from the brilliant horror author Adam Nevill’s original novel, so it’s no surprise his other hit book No One Gets Out Alive (2014) is being adapted by Netflix.

The novel has a haunting story following a young woman who is strapped for cash reluctantly moving into a cheap flat, however the seemingly harmless strange occurrences soon rapidly manifest into something much more sinister. If The Ritual is anything to go by, No One Gets Out Alive will be a hit success.

Trailer for Bloody Hell is released, promising audiences a dark ride into Hell

The old saying of “it could be worse” certainly comes to life in Alister Grierson’s latest contribution to the genre. In what appears to be a hellish life, Rex (Ben O’Toole) is desperate to escape to some sort of normality, however his planned trip to the seemingly peaceful Helsinki lands him in the home of a psychotic family hellbent on making his life a nightmare. Not much has been released about the film just yet, but from the looks of the fast paced trailer the audience are in for a gruesomely fun ride.

The Walking Dead announces its final series, however a fan favourite spin-off is announced

The Walking Dead has been on our screens for ten years now, with it seeming to be one of the most infamous horror tv shows. With this being said the official Walking Dead Twitter account announced that the 11th season concluding in 2022 with a total of 24 episodes will be its last ever season. The last stretch of episodes are set to be an epic showdown where the longstanding Negan’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) fate is finally revealed.

However for upset fans the news of the series coming to an end is not all bad news, with series favorites Carol (Melissa McBride) and Daryl (Norman Reedus) set to get their own spin-off show. News has been kept under wraps regarding whether the show will feature an insight into their lives prior to the ‘walkers’ or if it continues with their journey after the series. But at least fans will be able to see Daryl Dixon rocking his famous crossbow once again.

Mike Flangan’s proposed plans for adapting Stephen King’s The Dark Tower

Horror adaptations are not easy projects to tackle, with Stephen King’s original series The Dark Tower seeming to prove the point. This book had a decent stab taken at it in 2017 with Nikolaj Arcel attempting to bring a complicated story to the big screen. Despite the star-studded cast including Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, the film suffered from a lacklustre critical consensus.

The ever innovative Mike Flanagan (Oculus, Doctor Sleep, Hush) has reported at Fantasia International Film Festival that he would be up for adapting King’s novel. And it seems that Flanagan could be the person for the job, with two King adaptations behind his belt already. Both Gerald’s Game (2017) and The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep (2019) earned both an almighty box office and critical success. For horror fans this news rings a possible third collaboration between King and Flanagan.

Paranormal Activity franchise plans to add a seventh film to the series

Whether you love it or hate it, Paranormal Activity’s sheer success and marketing of the films has been seriously impressive; in fact, the first film earned its place as one of the highest profiting films of all time as it earned back its budget over 30 times.

2015 saw the supposed end of the series with Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (Gregory Plotkin), however Blumhouse Productions and Paramount Pictures confirmed the found footage ghost films will continue as a seventh entry has been confirmed, with an expected release date for 2022. What’s even more exciting is the fact that previous Paranormal Activity alumni Christopher Landon is putting in his contribution into the film.

The Strangers director Bryan Bertino comes back with a bang with The Dark and The Wicked

Bryan Bertino shocked audiences with his 2008 home invasion horror The Strangers. This time he is back with another chilling film that plays out as a daunting slow-burner. The Dark and The Wicked stars Marin Ireland (The Umbrella Academy) and Michael Abbot Jr. as two siblings who travel to a rural town to be with their dying father.

Evil elements soon start to take over, leaving them in a waking nightmare. The rural setting combined with a slow pace provides a harrowing aesthetic quality similar to that of Bertino’s previous works. The film certainly builds up an atmospheric dread that will stay with audiences long after watching.

Mass Hysteria brings an equal measure of comedy and horror this October

Horror comedies can sometimes miss the mark, with films not balancing the two juxtaposed sub-genres. However, Mass Hysteria (Arielle Cimino and Jeff Ryan) seems to juggle both with ease. The film follows a group of Salem Witch Trial reenactors being hunted down by an angry mob to avenge the death of a tourist on All Hallow’s Eve. The film will be released via VOD and has an expected release date for the beginning of October.

Syfy’s new Chucky series has its production delayed

Due to the current times we live in many release dates and scheduled productions have been slightly pushed back. One of these being the highly anticipated series based on one of horror’s favourite dolls, Chucky. The series was set to air on Syfy, with the first episode premiering this Autumn, however this has now been moved to 2021.

The series will bring back the roots of Chucky as not only will Brad Dourif (the original Child’s Play voiceover) be voicing the role, but Jennifer Tilly will also be joining the line-up. What’s even more exciting is that fans of the franchise will be potentially offered a true origin story of how Chucky came to be the evil creature he truly is.

Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead set to release a surrounding prequel and anime series

Snyder is no stranger to zombie films, with him tackling George A. Romero’s Dead-series in 2004 with the remake of Dawn of the Dead. So who better to further the zombie legacy than Snyder. His latest film Army of the Dead acts as a rough sequel to its predecessor and follows a troop of mercenaries as they orchestrate a heist on a casino during a zombie apocalypse.

Even though the film hasn’t been released yet, the green light has been given for a prequel and an anime series. Little has been released about the prequel and series, but we do know that Army of the Dead’s lead character Scott Ward (Dave Bautista) will reprise his role in the anime series.

Body-swap meets horror in Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton’s new film ‘Freaky’

Christopher Landon gives us a highly entertaining horror with Freaky. The film follows the 17-year old wallflower Millie who ends up trapped in a maniacal serial killer’s body. To make matters worse she only has 24 hours to get herself back before the swap becomes permanent. The trailer promises a highly charged film, equipped with plenty of comic relief for those gnarly kill scenes.

Vince Vaughn plays the Blissfield Butcher who has been stalking the local town and brutally killing his victims. Vaughn seems to fit the role of a butch killer, but with a teenage girls personality, making it one of his most interesting roles yet. One particularly entertaining scene involves him convincing Millie’s friends that he is in fact her via re-enacting their school’s cheerleading dance motto.

Despite the amusing antics the film ensures a great deal of carnage, with the Butcher’s dusty layer adorning dead mutilated animals hanging by string. Alongside this the trailer gives a brief glimpse into his gratuitously violent murders. Landon seems to be somewhat of a genre reviver; his previous success Happy Death Day (2017) dealt with a Groundhog Day time loop continuation and now Freaky experiments with a Freaky Friday-esque body-swap film.

This weeks article comes via Grace from Film Overload, you can check out more of her work here.

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This week in horror – News round up 05.09.20

This weeks horror news round up comes from Grace at Film Overload!

Overview: Arrow Video’s Frightfest 2020

This year’s Frightfest reigns different to the past, with it taking place virtually. The online festival line-up included 25 films (seven world premieres and 16 UK premieres). As usual the menu of films included a selection of soon to be top hits such as Ivo van Art’s well received The Columnist and The Swerve (Dean Kapsalis, 2018).

The collection of films was entirely varied with stories from Canada, Australia, UK, Netherlands and Brazil, allowing for a broad range of films to emerge, particularly the hilarious hidden gem of the season Two Heads Creek (Jesse O’Brien, 2019).
Frightfest’s usual energetic brigade of guest appearances, Q&A’s and film showcases were not left out, despite the fact that the event was held online; in fact the comfort of watching from home was not overlooked.

New uncut trailer for Cronenberg’s Possessor lands

Possessor is a sci-fi horror film directed by Brandon Cronenberg, if the surname sounds familiar it’s because the infamous David Cronenberg is Brandon’s father and his influence is not ignored, with intense body horror and brutality exhibited throughout. Possessor follows a secret agent who inhabits other people’s bodies via brain-implantation to perform assassinations for her clients.

The film explores loss of identity and control over one’s own actions. The set up has been praised due to its originality and stand out performances by the impressive cast including Andrea Riseborough (“Mandy”) and Christopher Abbot (“Piercing”). The trailer definitely highlights the startling enigmatic atmosphere Cronenberg has established, with a background of stylishly choreographed violence and gore all lit with a sense of dystopian reality.

The New Mutants fails to live up to long awaited expectations

Josh Boone’s The New Mutants has not been dealt an easy hand, with a repetitive delayed schedule constantly pushing its release date back. This may have edged up the hype surrounding the film for a while, but the anticipated release has been considered a let down by many. The reviews are not all negative, yet many audiences feel the horror potential it had was overshadowed by its origins within the X-Men franchise.

The New Mutants was marketed as a horror take on the saturated supervillain genre (similar to last year’s Brightburn), however the scare tactics have little hold over the exaggerated action sequences and overt Marvel cliches that have grown tiresome.

The reaction is not entirely surprising as one of the reasons for the delay was due to the studio (20th Century Fox) requiring the film to be almost completely reshot after such negative responses. Unfortunately a lot more than a reshoot needed to be completed to save The New Mutants.

First teaser for Blumhouse Productions Amazon Prime horror films coming this Halloween

Blumhouse Productions seem to appear in many of the latest horror releases for years, with their investments creating hits such as The Invisible Man (Leigh Whannell, 2020) and Halloween (David Gordon Green, 2018). Blumhouse will release a total of eight films directly to Amazon Prime. The series of films is aptly titled ‘Welcome to Blumhouse’ and from the first look that was released this week horror fans will be in for a treat.

The teaser trailer promises an unsettling journey into fear, with a glimpse into each film’s chilling disposition. The four films coming soon are ‘The Lie’ (Veena Sud) which starts Joey King as an impulsive killer, ‘Black Box’ (Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr.) which explores the temptation of reversing history, ‘Evil Eye’ (Elan Dassani and Rajeev Dassani) which is produced by Priyanka Chopra and deals with the consequences of parental suspicions and ‘Nocturne’ (Zu Quirke) which explores a musician’s Faustian pact to supersede her talented sister.

The first four will be released on October 6th just in time for Halloween, with the other four films premiering in 2021.

This weeks article comes via Grace from Film Overload, you can check out more of her work here.

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This week in Horror – News round up 28.08.20

Here’s our horror news round up, a few of this weeks biggest stories and happenings in the genre!

Reboot Revival: Scream and The Thing both set to return to screens

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDUGif5jZPA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Scream has consistently shown a critical concord of well received sequels, so why not throw a fifth one into the mix. Scream 5 has been confirmed, and what’s more important is so are directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who brought us last year’s gem Ready or Not.

Many familiar faces from Woodsboro are set to return, with the likes of Courteney Cox, David Arquette and Neve Campbell all reprising their roles as the renegade survivors of Ghostface. Scream 5 is sure to be a blast through the box office, with many hopeful fans anticipating the return of Craven’s subjective masterpiece.

Scream isn’t the only classic with a reboot in talks, with The Thing being brought back to life by the notorious Blumhouse Productions. John Carpenter’s 1982’s sci-fi horror has an infamous reputation, with a remake already penned in 2011 by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.

Although the film is still in early development Carpenter himself has confirmed his involvement. It hasn’t yet been confirmed whether the film will be a remake, re-imagining or a sequel. With Carpenter’s contribution it’s sure to be an honourable mark within The Thing’s film series.

Netflix’s surreal horror – I’m Thinking of Ending Things arrives on the 4th September

Charlie Kaufman tackles Iain Reid’s debut novel following a young woman who accompanies her boyfriend on a road trip to meet his parents. However, after a snowstorm prevents them from leaving, she soon notices her perception of reality has been wildly hindered. The film has a talented cast including Toni Collette, Jessie Buckley, Jesse Plemons and David Thewlis, who all seemingly tackle their roles extremely convincingly enhancing the erratic unnerving atmosphere of the film.

From the first look this film is a surreal ride into a perplexing maze of events. The uneasy trailer presents us with a false verisimilitude that presents normal situations in a sinister tone. The film’s atmosphere is structured to appear ordinary from an outside perspective but with unstable undertones lurking beneath the surface, similar to both Get Out (Jordan Peele, 2017) and Hereditary (Ari Aster, 2018).

It’s best to watch I’m Thinking of Ending Things with little prior knowledge to fully experience and appreciate the disturbing events that unravel.

First Look: The creators of The Haunting of Hill House return with The Haunting of Bly Manor

In 2018 Mike Flanagan brought Shirley Jackson’s novel to life with the terrifying Haunting of Hill House. Now Flanagan and the talented cast return for an adaptation of Henry James’s novella The Turn of the Screw. New pictures were released this week showing us an insight into Bly Manor’s haunting aura, including dark hallways, nightmarish dolls and a grandeur setting.

The foundation of Bly Manor seems to coincide with Hill House’s mysterious surroundings, but this time round Flanagan has hinted at an evoking relationship between haunted people and a haunted space. Bly Manor is set to return this Autumn, perfectly synchronising with Halloween.

Host director and writer team up once again for new prison-based horror flick

Host soared to success as one of the first lockdown films, however the director Rob Savage’s success doesn’t stop there as he alongside Host writer Jed Shepherd are set to create an original horror film based on a group of female prisoners discovering the prison’s dark secrets lurking around the halls.

Little has been released about Host’s follow up, the story has been likened to an allegory for the reverse effects of lockdown; once afraid to stay in for prolonged periods now transforms into a fear of venturing into the outside. Savage’s talent was exhibited largely throughout Host and if that’s anything to work from this film will be a hit.

This weeks article comes via Grace from Film Overload, you can check out more of her work here.

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News

This week in horror – news round up 17.07.20

Here’s our first horror news round up, a couple of this weeks biggest stories and happenings in the genre!

Friday The 13th – Epic 16 disc franchise collection announced

Scream factory confirmed a leak on Monday 13 July (obviously), that a brand new franchise collection including all 12 films will be released on 13 October 2020. Rumours had been rumbling since March this year when a cast member of Jason Lives mentioned the new box set, and the collection had also been spotted on amazon briefly as unavailable. Fans will not be disappointed as there will be 4k restorations of the first four films and bloody bags full of new content from each film to wade through.

Fans lucky enough to get their hands on the 16 disc collection through Scream Factory will receive; an exclusive limited edition 36” x 24” lithograph featuring new artwork from artist Devon Whitehead and limited edition 24” x 36” Friday The 13th 40th anniversary poster with new artwork from Joel Robinson. The collaboration with Paramount Studios has already crashed the SF website so its fair to say you’ll need to get in there quick to bag a copy! (Link below)

https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/friday-the-13th-collection-deluxe-edition?product_id=7444

Chucky’ – TV series coming 2021

Don Mancini creator of the the Child’s Play franchise shared a teaser (below) of a new series ‘‘Chucky’‘ coming to USA and Syfy in 2021. ”Chucky” has been described as a ”fresh take on the franchise” that’ll ”explore Chucky’s character with a depth that is uniquely afforded by the television series format”

“After a vintage Chucky doll turns up at a suburban yard sale, an idyllic American town is thrown into chaos as a series of horrifying murders begin to expose the town’s hypocrisies and secrets. Meanwhile, the arrival of enemies — and allies — from Chucky’s past threatens to expose the truth behind the killings, as well as the demon doll’s untold origins as a seemingly ordinary child who somehow became this notorious monster.”

Here at Dead Northern were beyond excited to see how this new series plays out!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCt1V2eF4zl/

Shudder’s ”The Last Drive-In With Joe Bob Briggs” returning for a third season in August

Horror fans will be pleased to hear on Tuesday it was announced the Shudder series was being renewed for a third season and some additional specials due as soon as this August. Shudder announced a special ”summer sleepover” double feature pre-taped prior to lockdown that will feature a visit to the trailer park from horror filmmaker Adam Green along with other surprise guests. The special episode will premiere on Friday 14 August.

In Memoriam – Kelly Preston

Actress Kelly Preston has died aged 57 after a 2 year fight with breast cancer, it was announced by husband John Travolta on Monday 13 July. Travolta posted on Instagram: “My beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer. She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many.”

The couple had been married for nearly 29 years. Preston’s career included roles in Twins, From Dusk Till Dawn (pictured above), Jerry Maguire and The Cat in the Hat. She also collaborated with her husband on Battlefield Earth and Old Dogs. Tributes poured in for the brilliant actress from the likes of Russell Crowe and Alec Baldwin, both having worked with her described her as a ‘lovely person’, ‘funny’ and ‘kind’.