News

Jefferson Richard, a line producer, production manager and assistant director with credits including The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, Driven, 3000 Miles to Graceland and the rebooted Get Carter, has died. He was 74.

Richard died July 10 in his home in Johnson Canyon, Utah, his wife, Sheila Richard, announced.

Richard served as second-unit director on Maniac Cop (1988), production supervisor on Another 9 1/2 Weeks (1997), unit manager on In Too Deep (1999), production manager on Jack Nicholson’s The Pledge (2001) and executive producer of Daddy Day Camp (2007).

He also was a line producer in Mexico on the 1990s syndicated television series Acapulco H....

Jefferson Richard, a line producer, production manager and assistant director with credits including The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, Driven, 3000 Miles to Graceland and the rebooted Get Carter, has died. He was 74.

Richard died July 10 in his home in Johnson Canyon, Utah, his wife, Sheila Richard, announced.

Richard served as second-unit director on Maniac Cop (1988), production supervisor on Another 9 1/2 Weeks (1997), unit manager on In Too Deep (1999), production manager on Jack Nicholson’s The Pledge (2001) and executive producer of Daddy Day Camp (2007).

He also was a line producer in Mexico on the 1990s syndicated television series Acapulco H....

Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat is a rarely seen or mentioned 80s/90s gem, filmed in the 80s, but not really seen until it hit VHS in 1991. Starring David Carradine, Morgan Brittany, and Bruce Campbell, and directed by Anthony Hickox, it's headed to Blu-ray as part of Vestron Video's "Collector's Series" on August 17th and we have an exclusive special feature clip. Watch as special effects master Tony Gardner talks about the process for creating vampire teeth for the film:

A new edition to the Vestron Video Collector’s Series, the tongue-in-cheek vampire film Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat arrives on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital) August 17 from Lionsgate. Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat stars Golden Globe® nominee David Carradine, Maxwell Caulfield, Morgan Brittany, Bruce Campbell, and Golden Globe® nominee Jim Metzler. Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat will be available on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital) for the suggested retail price of...

“Only got two choices – kill ’em or convert ’em.”

A new edition to the Vestron Video Collector’s Series, the tongue-in-cheek vampire film Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat arrives on Blu-ray (plus Digital) August 17 from Lionsgate.

A new edition to the Vestron Video Collector’s Series, the tongue-in-cheek vampire film Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat arrives on Blu-ray (plus Digital) August 17 from Lionsgate. Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat stars Golden Globe nominee David Carradine, Maxwell Caulfield, Morgan Brittany, Bruce Campbell, and Golden Globe nominee Jim Metzler. Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat will be available on Blu-ray (plus Digital) for the suggested retail price of $17.99.

The road to Purgatory is paved with good intentions, and Count Mardulak (David Carradine) wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s seeking atonement for centuries of human carnage, which is why he’s instructed Purgatory’s vampire residents to slather on Spf 100 sunblock, pursue daytime activities…...

Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat is a rarely seen or mentioned 90s gem, starring David Carradine, Morgan Brittany, and Bruce Campbell, and directed by Anthony Hickox. It's headed to Blu-ray as part of Vestron Video's "Collector's Series" on August 17th and we have all the details:

A new edition to the Vestron Video Collector’s Series, the tongue-in-cheek vampire film Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat arrives on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital) August 17 from Lionsgate. Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat stars Golden Globe® nominee David Carradine, Maxwell Caulfield, Morgan Brittany, Bruce Campbell, and Golden Globe® nominee Jim Metzler. Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat will be available on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital) for the suggested retail price of $17.99.

Official Synopsis

The road to Purgatory is paved with good intentions, and Count Mardulak (David Carradine) wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s seeking atonement for centuries of human carnage, which is...

January’s home media releases are ending on a high note, as there are a bunch of great titles headed to Blu-ray and DVD this week. My very favorite film of 2019, Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite is making its debut on both formats, and if you missed it in theaters last year, Terminator: Dark Fate is hitting multiple formats as well.

For those of you who dig totally bananapants filmmaking, Tammy and the T-Rex is being released this week courtesy of Vinegar Syndrome. Vs is also keeping busy with Berserker, Beyond the Door 3, and Unmasked Part 25, and Scream Factory is bringing home Body Parts, Let’s Scare Jessica to Death, as well as a Steelbook Edition of The Slumber Party Massacre, too.

Arrow Video has put together a special edition release of Edge of the Axe, and the Warner Archive Collection is showing some love to the criminally underseen Two on a Guillotine.

“Wanna Date?!?”

The ’80s live! Wamg recently got its hands on the new terrific, epic, 482-page book The Untold, In-depth, Outrageously True Story Of Shapiro Glickenhaus Entertainment by Marco Siedelmann, Nadia Bruce-Rawlings, and Stephen A. Roberts. This interview collection takes us back into the roaring 1980s, when the home video market changed the whole world of film making. For a short time, everything seemed possible, and in a way everything was possible. Shapiro Glickenhaus Entertainment was in the right place at the right time. Although Sge closed its doors in 1995, films like The Exterminator, Black Roses, Shakedown, Moontrap, Red Scorpion, No Retreat No Surrender II, Basket Case II & III, Frankenhooker, Maniac Cop and several others remain cult favorites today.

Enlightening interviews with business legends and producers are combined with extended conversations with well-known genre filmmakers. On top of this are the voices of all the key people that marketed...

Would you really want to try to scare James Caan? Haven’t we seen what he does to people that cross him in several films? Apparently It Follows' Keir Gilchrist and co-star Logan Miller didn’t get that memo, as they’ll be making just such an attempt in The Waiting.Kasra Farahani is directing the indie thriller, born from Mark Bianculli and Jeff Richard’s script. The story follows two high school filmmakers (Gilchrist and Miller) who decide that what they really need to do is create the illusion of a haunting on an unsuspecting local neighbour, which we can only assume is Caan. This has all the ingredients for a prank that could go horribly, horribly wrong, be it supernaturally or just with two young punks getting their comeuppance. The film kicks off shooting in Los Angeles in the next couple of weeks. Caan is shooting action-romance...

The stars have aligned on several late-breaking projects in Cannes as Sierra/Affinity brings a Liam Neeson spy thriller and Lotus Entertainment boards a WWII thriller with Lily James and Christopher Plummer.

Neeson is final negotiations to star in A Willing Patriot for MadRiver Pictures, which Martin Zandvliet will direct and centres on a CIA agent hunting a terrorist.

MadRiver fully finances and will produce while CAA, which packaged and arranged financing, expects to announce wide Us distribution during Cannes.

Jason Keller wrote the original script and will also produce alongside Film 360’s Guymon Casady and Darin Friedman and Hollywood Gang’s Gianni Nunnari.

Lotus Entertainment will commence talks with international buyers on The Kaiser’s Last Kiss from Film House Germany-owned Egoli Tossell Film starring James and Plummer.

Simon Burke adapted the screenplay from the novel by Alan Judd. The project is an Egoli Tossell Film and Ostar Enterprises production.

Judy Tossell and [link...

Star Thrower Entertainment, Ball and Chain Productions and Anonymous Content will partner on The Waiting, a thriller to be directed by Kasra Farahani, starring James Caan (The Godfather, Misery, Elf), Logan Miller (Scouts Vs Zombies, Night Moves, The Stanford Prison Experiment) and Keir Gilchrist (It Follows, It’S Kind Of A Funny Story, “United States of Tara”).

Farahani’s short film Noon was optioned within 24 hours of its release by 20th Century Fox and Chernin Entertainment where it is currently in feature development.

Speaking about their film, Co-founders of Star Thrower Entertainment Tim White and Trevor White said, “Mark and Jeff have crafted an excellent script that seamlessly combines elements of a riveting thriller and fascinating character study. This script, together with Kasra’s elegant vision and our compelling cast, makes The Waiting the type of filmmaker and talent driven project ideal for Star Thrower.”

The Waiting was written by Mark Bianculli and Jeff Richard.

Community

Martin Mull and Lesley Ann Warren, who previously starred together as Colonel Mustard and Miss Scarlet respectively in 1985 comedy classic "Clue," are set to guest star on the upcoming sixth season of the sitcom "Community".

The pair will play George and Deb Perry, the mother and father of cast regular Britta. The sixth season will debut on Yahoo Screen in winter 2015. [Source: EW]

Finding Sofia in Argentina

Sam Huntington ("Superman Returns," "Being Human") is set to star in Nico Casavecchia's independent comedy feature "Finding Sofia" at 1stAveMachine. Shooting begins Monday in Argentina.

Huntington plays a young filmmaker who makes a rash decision and buys a ticket to Buenos Aires to pay a surprise visit to a mysterious girl (Andrea Carballo) he met on the Internet. Once he arrives, he discovers that she lives with her artist boyfriend and his assistant. [Source: Variety]

Convergence

Paul Wesley ("The Vampire Diaries") is set to star...

• The Vampire Diaries’ Paul Wesley will star in Convergence, a vehicle for him to star in and produce. Little is known about the plot at this time, but the film is said to follow a group of underground biotech engineers who experiment with a new technology that exceeds their expectations. Jeff Richard wrote the script. Filming is planned for next spring in Shanghai and Atlanta. [Deadline] • Sam Huntington, of Being Human fame, has been cast as the lead in Finding Sofia. Nico Casavecchia is directing the indie comedy, which follows Huntington as a young filmmaker who buys a ticket to Buenos...

Exclusive: The Vampire Diaries’ Paul Wesley is jumping from the supernatural to the scientific with Convergence, a sci-fi action film that he’ll star in and produce.

Plot details are being kept under wraps, but Convergence is described as a college-age ensemble piece in the vein of Flatliners, The Matrix, and Fight Club based on real life “science fact”. It follows a group of underground biotech engineers, including an MIT student wunderkind, exploring a new technology far beyond their expectations and beyond the limits of human control.

The actor, director, and producer currently stars as Stefan Salvatore on The CW’s hit show The Vampire Diaries. The series is in its sixth season and will return from its midseason hiatus with a January episode that Wesley directed, his second after making his directorial debut on the show last season.

“My first couple of hiatuses I was looking for indies to...

The Vampire Diaries star Paul Wesley has signed on to star in and produce the sci-fi thriller Convergence, which is described as a college-aged ensemble in the same vein as The Matrix, Fight Club and Flatliners.

Specific plot details are being kept under wraps, but the story reportedly revolves around a group of biotech engineers, including a brilliant MIT student, who explore a new technology that is beyond the grasp of human control.

Here's what Paul Wesley, who plays Stefan Salvatore on CW's The Vampire Diaries, had to say about the project and his character.

"My first couple of hiatuses I was looking for indies to separate me from the younger material. Now I'm looking for flawed characters, because my (Vampire Diaries) character is very heroic. My character in Convergence is not the protagonist but is the guy who pushes things a little too far, and too hard, and produces some scary results.

Usually when you see white smoke emanating from the Vatican, it means that a new Pope has been chosen. That being said, we have a sneaky suspicion that's not gonna be the case here with the new Blumhouse terror tale, White Smoke.

According to Variety, Lionsgate is developing Vatican supernatural thriller White Smoke with horror film titan Jason Blum and Kevin McCormick on board to produce.

The studio has acquired a pitch from Jeff Richard and Mark Bianculli, who are writing the script about a series of bizarre and haunting occurrences that grip the Vatican. A renowned neuroscientist is summoned by the inner circle of cardinals to find a logical explanation.

Look for more on this one as it comes.

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Start smokin' in the comments section below!

Because Warner Bros. has such wonderful people, the studio’s enlisted KatzSmith Production partners Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg to work on their recently-acquired script The Waiting. Variety reports that this project will act as Katzenberg‘s directorial debut.

Written by first-time scribes Mark Bianculli and Jeff Richard, the teen thriller follows “two young filmmakers who decide to create the illusion of a haunting on an unsuspecting neighbor.” As you may have guessed (but probably feared), the film will employ a combination of “traditional narrative and found footage” elements.

Since this will be Katzenberg‘s first directing project — various TV shows notwithstanding — there isn’t much I can say about his directing talent. He will, however, be producing alongside Grahame-Smith, who has the experience and seeming knack for these types of stories — he’s the writer behind the Dark Shadows screenplay and the novels Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter & Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Variety reports that David Katzenberg has signed onto to direct Warner Bros. thriller The Waiting. The story apparently is a mix between found footage aswell as traditional film style. Katzenberg will be working off of a script penned by Mark Bianculli and Jeff Richard and the film is also set to be produced by Katzenberg aswell as Seth Grahame-Smith, who both are apparently working on the script for a Beetlejuice reboot. The film itself follows…...

Writer/producers Seth Grahame-Smith (yes, the man responsible for Pride & Prejudice & Zombies and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) and David Katzenberg are busy bees right now, with TV shows and movies already in development based either on work they’ve created (see above) and other properties. Despite that, Katzenberg has decided that he wants to add “film director” to his already bulging credit list, scoring the job of making horror movie The Waiting for Warner Bros.The studio bought the spec script from Mark Bianculli and Jeff Richard last month. It follows two young filmmakers who conspire to convince a neighbour that their house is haunted, a scheme that we figure will go badly wrong and lead to some nasty consequences for all involved.According to Variety, the project will blend found footage (the studios’ current medium of choice for horror) and more traditional filmmaking. It’s not Katzenberg’s first time behind the camera,...

It seems as if everyone is finding footage nowadays. Amidst a sea of lame entries it's hard to weed through the insanity to find the few good ones. Hopefully Warner Bros. has done just that.

Warner Bros. is entrusting its recently acquired spec The Waiting to KatzSmith Productions partners Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg, the latter of whom will make his feature directorial debut with the teen thriller, reports Variety.

First-time scribes Mark Bianculli and Jeff Richard wrote the script, which WB pre-emptively acquired back in February.

"The story follows two young filmmakers who decide to create the illusion of a haunting on an unsuspecting neighbor." It will employ a combination of traditional narrative and found footage.

More as it comes.

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Got news? Click here to submit it!

Find footage in the comments section below!

The Waiting teen thriller to David Katzenberg, Seth Grahame-Smith. Warner Bros. Pictures' has set Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg of KatzSmith Productions for the studio's recently acquired teen thriller spec script, which will mark the helming debut of Katzenberg, reports Variety. Mark Bianculli and Jeff Richard, first-time writers, penned the script acquired by Warner Bros. in February which tells of two young filmmakers who hatch a scheme to create an illusion of a haunting on an unsuspecting neighbor. Pic will use both found footage and narrative storytelling to achieve the desired effect. Also producing with Grahame-Smith and Katzenberg are Rosalie Swedlin and Elana Barry of Anonymous Content...

The Waiting teen thriller to David Katzenberg, Seth Grahame-Smith. Warner Bros. Pictures' has set Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg of KatzSmith Productions for the studio's recently acquired teen thriller spec script, which will mark the helming debut of Katzenberg, reports Variety. Mark Bianculli and Jeff Richard, first-time writers, penned the script acquired by Warner Bros. in February which tells of two young filmmakers who hatch a scheme to create an illusion of a haunting on an unsuspecting neighbor. Pic will use both found footage and narrative storytelling to achieve the desired effect. Also producing with Grahame-Smith and Katzenberg are Rosalie Swedlin and Elana Barry of Anonymous Content...

The Waiting teen thriller to David Katzenberg, Seth Grahame-Smith. Warner Bros. Pictures' has set Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg of KatzSmith Productions for the studio's recently acquired teen thriller spec script, which will mark the helming debut of Katzenberg, reports Variety. Mark Bianculli and Jeff Richard, first-time writers, penned the script acquired by Warner Bros. in February which tells of two young filmmakers who hatch a scheme to create an illusion of a haunting on an unsuspecting neighbor. Pic will use both found footage and narrative storytelling to achieve the desired effect. Also producing with Grahame-Smith and Katzenberg are Rosalie Swedlin and Elana Barry of Anonymous Content...

There's just nothing like a good bump in the night flick, and hopefully that's exactly what we're going to get with the latest acquisition from Warner Brothers. Read on for the skinny!

According to Deadline Warner Bros pre-emptively acquired the script for The Waiting by first time screenwriters Mark Bianculli and Jeff Richard.

Described as Rear Window meets Paranormal Activity, mysterious events occur in the flick when two high school filmmakers decide to create the illusion of a haunting on an unsuspecting neighbor.

Yep. We're there. Look for more on this one as soon as it comes.

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Start waiting for this flick in the comments section below!

Warner Bros. is hustling and bustling on the business front this week — and it’s only Monday! For one, Variety tells us that the studio has, yes, bought yet another fantasy story for the film treatment; this time around, it’s Magic Kingdom of Landover, based on Terry Brooks‘ Magic Kingdom for Sale — Sold! Akiva Goldsman‘s Weed Road Pictures and Grade A Entertainment will produce the picture, which Universal took an unsuccessful stab at back in 2005; Stephen Sommers was tapped to direct at the time, though I imagine he’s gone by this point. (Don’t complain.)

The book, first in a series of six, centers on “a recently widowed lawyer who finds an advertisement in an upscale Christmas catalog claiming to offer a magical kingdom for $1 million by a man named Mr. Meeks. After he purchases Landover, he discovers he must unite the kingdom’s denizens and creatures...

Warner Bros. Pictures has pre-emptively acquired The Waiting, a script by first time screenwriters Mark Bianculli and Jeff Richard, reports Deadline. Described as Rear Window meets Paranormal Activity, "mysterious events occur when two high school filmmakers decide to create the illusion of a haunting on an unsuspecting neighbor." These scribes have been working their way up the ladder. Bianculli is currently a writers assistant on CBSs "Unforgettable," and previously a Pa on FXs "Justified." Richard worked as a production assistant on "Ncsi: Los Angeles." Both writers worked as assistants at Industry Entertainment where they met Rosalie Swedlin. Bianculli became Swedlins assistant at Anonymous Content.

Exclusive: Warner Bros pre-emptively acquired the script by first time screenwriters Mark Bianculli and Jeff Richard. Described as Rear Window in tone, mysterious events occur in The Waiting when two high school filmmakers decide to create the illusion of a haunting on an unsuspecting neighbor. The two scribes have been working their way up the ladder. Bianculli is currently a writer’s assistant on CBS’s Unforgettable, and previously a Pa on FX’s Justified. Richard worked as a production assistant on Ncsi: Los Angeles. Both writers worked as assistants at Industry Entertainment where they met Rosalie Swedlin. They’re now repped by Anonymous Content’s Swedlin and Elana Barry, who will also produce, and by Wme’s Danny Greenberg and David Karp who negotiated the deal. Sarah Schechter and Chantal Nong will oversee for Warner Bros.