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Luke Jaden has unveiled the ensemble cast for his indie Animals of the Land, which he wrote and will direct later this summer in Michigan.

Warrior Nun and Killing Eve actor Andrea Tivadar, Jord Knotter, Abel Lysenko and newcomer Roan Kyne have nabbed roles in the horror thriller. Animals of the Land follows a family at the beginning of time who live in perfect harmony with Mother Nature, until an act of rebellion unearths a violent force of evil.

That forces the family to make an unbearable sacrifice to restore the cycle of life leading to the downfall of creation.

Tivadar, the only woman in the movie’s main cast, will play Willow, the family’s mother, while Knotter plays the father, Clay. Kyne nabbed the role of the oldest son, River, while Lysenko will play the youngest son, Rye.

Tivadar and Knotter earlier appeared together in the sci-fi action...

Jeff Howard to write and Executive Produce Fangoria Studios’ live-action feature film adaptation of “Junji Ito’S Bloodsucking Darkness”: "Legendary Japanese horror mangaka/manga author and artist Junji Ito and Fangoria Studios are set to produce Bloodsucking Darkness; a vampire tale from the beloved master of horror’s hit manga Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection. Executive Producer and screenwriter Jeff Howard has been tapped to develop the screen adaptation on behalf of Fangoria Studios. Bloodsucking Darkness, a live action feature film of Ito’s acclaimed works, is set to be the first of three stories that Fangoria Studios plans to adapt from Smashed.

“Fangoria Studios is going to adapt my manga! I'm so excited to see how it will turn out,” said Ito. “I hope I get to see the trailer in my dreams tonight!,”said Junji Ito.

Junji Ito began his career as a manga horror writer while working as a dental technician.

For genre fans who grew up in the 1980s and ’90s, Fangoria will always be one of the biggest names in horror. While under control of various owners, the Fangoria brand has weaved in and out of the movie world over the decades – and the latest iteration of Fangoria launched Fangoria Studios in 2021 “to develop and produce film, television and podcasts.” Now Variety reports that Fangoria Studios is developing a live-action feature film adaptation of the manga Bloodsucking Darkness, created by Junji Ito, with The Haunting of Hill House writer Jeff Howard working on the screenplay. The search for a director is now underway.

Apparently also known as Blood Slurping Darkness, Ito’s manga is a twisted vampire story that centers on a young woman who develops an eating disorder after her boyfriend breaks up with her. She meets a boy who is concerned about her weight loss… and then...

“The Haunting of Hill House” writer Jeff Howard has been hired to develop Junji Ito’s manga “Bloodsucking Darkness” into a live-action feature film.

Fangoria Studios, a genre film and TV company, is backing the film. It’s set to be the first of three projects that Fangoria plans to adapt from Ito’s hit vampire series “Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection.”

“Fangoria Studios is going to adapt my manga! I’m so excited to see how it will turn out,” said Ito, who is serving as a producer. “I hope I get to see the trailer in my dreams tonight.”

Ito began his career as a manga horror writer while working as a dental technician. Manga became his full-time job in the late 1980s and in 1998 as he began writing and illustrating “Uzumaki” in Big Comic Spirits. Since then, he has continued to publish works such as “Gyo” and “Smashed.

BBC Greenlights ‘The Gold: The Inside Story’ Companion Doc

The BBC has greenlit a documentary telling the real story of the £26M ($31.2M) Brink’s-Mat robbery spotlighted in Neil Forsyth drama The Gold. The Gold: The Inside Story will hear from the detectives who investigated Britain’s biggest bullion heist and led the hunt for three tonnes of gold. Archive footage and eyewitness testimony detail the cat-and-mouse chase across borders and continents and the tracking of a corrupt network of professionals, lawyers and accountants who helped to launder the money through a complex network of foreign bank accounts and companies. Starring Dominic Cooper and Jack Lowden, The Gold drama finished last week on BBC One, attracting positive reviews and strong ratings. Bohemia Films is producing the documentary, which BBC Head of History Simon Young said will “give a frank and unvarnished account of the challenges the police failed in attempting...

Exclusive: Anna Chazelle has signed on to write, direct and exec produce an untitled horror film based on the Greek legend of Medusa for Fangoria Studios.

For the uninitiated, Medusa was one of three Gorgon sisters with venomous snakes for hair, whose gaze could turn those around her to stone. The creature met her end at the hands of the demigod Perseus, who used her head as a weapon before giving it to the goddess Athena for placement on her shield.

Tara Ansley, Armen Aghaeian, and Abhi Goel will produce the film for Fangoria Studios, with Phil Wurtzel exec producing through his Friel Films banner, alongside Chazelle.

“Medusa is a global icon, yet her story has been overlooked for far too long,” said Aghaeian, who serves as SVP of Fangoria Studios. “Anna’s interpretation of Medusa against the backdrop of Ancient Greece will make for a cinematic journey to remember.

Exclusive: Vertical Entertainment has secured the North American distribution rights to director Luke Jaden’s horror film, Boo!, with plans to release the pic in limited theaters April 12 as well as a digital rollout on platforms including iTunes and Amazon and through local cable providers.

Co-written by Jaden and Diane Michelle, the Midland Entertainment and Bardha Productions film stars Aurora Perrinea, Jaden Piner, Jill Marie Jones, Rob Zabrecky, and Charley Palmer Rothwell. The plot centers around a torn suburban family who refuses to heed the warning of an innocent prank left upon them which causes an unknown supernatural force to wreak havoc.

Phil Wurtzel and Ele Bardha produced, while Jaden, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Bradley Pilz, Nicolas Chartier, and Jonathan Deckter served as exec producers. Voltage is handling international rights.

The deal was brokered by Peter Jarowey and Josh Spector at Vertical and Jonathan Deckter at Voltage on behalf of the filmmakers.

Stars: Cary Elwes, Shelby Young, Michael Welch, Alexandria DeBerry, Scott T. Whitesell, Nancy Lynette Parker, Lauren Rys Martin, Patrick Floch, Jordan Burgess | Written and Directed by Phil Wurtzel

In this tense tale of psychological terror, Vivian Miller (Shelby Young) is a young twenty something who’s serving out her jail sentence at a work release program in the Midwest. Her 90 days of probation take her to The Cawdor Theatre, a dilapidated summer stock theatre run by Lawrence O’Neil (Cary Elwes). Vivian’s arrival in Cawdor starts a terrifying series of events that brings Lawrence’s secret past to the present. After Vivian views an old taped stage production of Macbeth, a force of evil is unleashed which soon turns its sights on her. With the help of Roddy (Michael Welch), a local outcast, Vivian sets about trying to discover who the supernatural killer on the tape is before she becomes the next victim.

Aurora Perrineau (Jem and the Holograms), Jill Marie Jones (Ash Vs. Evil Dead), Charley Palmer Rothwell (Dunkirk), Dwight Henry (Beasts Of The Southern Wind) and Rob Zabrecky (Criminal Minds) are set to appear in Luke Jaden's horror pic Boo!, along with Moonlight‘s Jaden Piner. Co-written by Jaden and Diane Michelle, the story follows a family that battles an unseen force as they soon realize they must band together in order to stop the unimaginable terror. Phil Wurtzel…...

Tobin Bell, aka Jigsaw of Saw fame, and Noah Jupe (Suburbicon) have joined the cast of Luke Jaden’s My Pretty Pony, which is based upon a short story by Stephen King. Phil Wurtzel of Friel Films is producing. Brian Kavanaugh-Jones… Continue Reading →

The post Tobin Bell Joins Stephen King-Based Film My Pretty Pony appeared first on Dread Central.

“Saw” star Tobin Bell and child actor Noah Jupe will star in the drama “My Pretty Pony,” a short film set to start shooting in Michigan this spring. The story follows an elderly man on his deathbed who gives his young grandson a pocket watch and warns the boy against the dangers of letting time slip away.

Luke Jaden is directing the from a script he adapted based on a short story by Stephen King. Phil Wurtzel of Friel Films is producing. Brian Kavanaugh-Jones (“Loving,” “Midnight Special”) and Josh Boone (“The Fault in Our Stars”) are executive producing.

Read More: ‘It’ Trailer Breakdown: The 6 Best Parts That Perfectly Capture the Novel’s Brilliance

Bell is best known to horror fans as the demented John Kramer/Jigsaw character from all seven “Saw” films, but his acting credits date back to 1988’s “Mississippi Burning,” and he had small roles in “Goodfellas” and “The Firm.

Enter the demimonde with a new preview page for Penny Dreadful #1 from Titan Comics. Also in this round-up: a poster and creature design details for Deimosimine and a Q&A with A Haunting in Cawdor‘s Shelby Young.

Penny Dreadful #1: The artwork featured in this preview page from Penny Dreadful #1 was created by artist Louie De Martinis, who also designed Cover C of this issue.

“Penny Dreadful #1

Script: Krysty Wilson-Cairns

Artist: Louie De Martinis

Ongoing – 32pp – Fc – $3.99 – On sale: 05/04/2016

The hit TV series is presented in comics for the first time and the covers of issue #1 have been released! This prequel reveals the terrifying events that led Vanessa to try and find her missing childhood friend, Mina Harker and exposes the true nature of the vampiric monsters infesting Victorian London. Beautifully realized by Louie De Martinis, and written by the scriptwriters of the hit show!

Penny Dreadful #1 comes with...

Below, watch the Detroit-set indie dramatic short, "The Wolf Who Cried Boy," scripted by Luke Jaden and Cort Johns, who also co-directed the film. The story, described as "anti-coming-of-age," centers on a young man who gets swept into the seedy underbelly of the scrapping industry. Torrey Wigfield leads the cast, playing a young scrapper living off the streets of Detroit. He's joined by Barkhad Abdi who plays a limo driver who acts as a fence for stolen copper; Dwight Henry as the no-nonsense junkyard owner; and Peter Carey as a ruthless scrapyard owner. This film is produced by Luke Jaden, Cort Johns, Frank Capra III, Phil Wurtzel, Anthony Ernest...

Stars: Cary Elwes, Shelby Young, Michael Welch, Alexandria DeBerry, Scott T. Whitesell, Nancy Lynette Parker, Lauren Rys Martin, Patrick Floch, Jordan Burgess | Written and Directed by Phil Wurtzel

In this tense tale of psychological terror, Vivian Miller (Shelby Young) is a young twenty something who’s serving out her jail sentence at a work release program in the Midwest. Her 90 days of probation take her to The Cawdor Theatre, a dilapidated summer stock theatre run by Lawrence O’Neil (Cary Elwes). Vivian’s arrival in Cawdor starts a terrifying series of events that brings Lawrence’s secret past to the present. After Vivian views an old taped stage production of Macbeth, a force of evil is unleashed which soon turns its sights on her. With the help of Roddy (Michael Welch), a local outcast, Vivian sets about trying to discover who the supernatural killer on the tape is before she becomes the next victim.

A new teaser trailer for Paul Feig's Ghostbusters reboot has arrived. The full trailer will be released on March 3rd. Also: details on The Night King figure from Dark Horse Deluxe, The Hollow first details, an excerpt from Sam Joyce's Tongues, and A Haunting in Cawdor release details.

Ghostbusters Reboot: "Thirty years after the original film took the world by storm, Ghostbusters is back and fully rebooted for a new generation. Director Paul Feig combines all the paranormal fighting elements that made the original franchise so beloved with a cast of new characters, played by the funniest actors working today. Get ready to watch them save the world this summer!"

Directed and co-written (with Katie Dippold) by Paul Feig, the Ghostbusters reboot stars Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, and Chris Hemsworth.

Original Ghostbusters stars Ernie Hudson, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Annie Potts, and Sigourney Weaver are...

Newly-formed production shingle Eden Road Pictures principals - Luke Jaden Sawicki, Cort Johns, and Phil Wurtzel - have optioned rights to Emmy Award-winning TV reporter and author Lee Thomas’ memoir, "Turning White: A Memoir of Change," to adapt into a film that the Thomas is on board to executive produce, with Eden Road producing. In the thought-provoking "Turning White," Lee Thomas shares the physical and mental battle he is waging with vitiligo, a skin disorder that is literally turning him white. At age 25, Thomas had a dream job in a dream city as a feature/entertainment reporter for the ABC networks flagship TV station in New York. Then he...

Read More: What It's Like to be a Teenage Filmmaker Young filmmakers Luke Jaden Sawicki, Cort Johns and Phil Wurtzel are launching Eden Road Pictures, a production company that hopes to tell honest and creative stories with a positive message. The company's first project will be adapting their short film "The Wolf Who Cried Boy" into a feature length effort. The film is set to star "Captain Phillips" Oscar nominee Barkhad Abdi-Led. Sawicki, who is only 19 years old, says of Eden Road's mission, "We want to tell stories we can all be proud of by awakening audiences with the power of honesty. Keeping our content highly original without resorting to senseless violence or sexualization is at the core of what we’re all about." "Eden Road will be admired and looked up to for its moral courage in telling important stories," added Wurtzel. "Eden Road won’t compromise when...

Queen of the Desert

Some truly gorgeous new photos have arrived of Nicole Kidman, James Franco, Robert Pattinson and Damien Lewis in Werner Herzog's upcoming Gertrude Bell biopic "Queen of the Desert". [Source: QOTDFilm]

Release Dates

The Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo-led "Spotlight" has targeted a platform rollout beginning with a November 6th opening. Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber and Stanley Tucci also star in the story of the Boston Globe’s Spotlight investigation team into sexual abuse within the Catholic church.

Universal has locked down a June 3rd 2016 release date for the Lonely Island movie. Andy Samberg leads the cast as Conner, a rapper whose latest career setback forces him to reunite with his old boy band.

Yoga Hosers

Kevin Smith has revealed he hopes to premiere his just completed film "Yoga Hosers" at the Toronto International Film Festival this year. Harley Quinn Smith (Smith's daughter) and Lily-Rose Depp (Johnny Depp...

"Beasts of the Southern Wild" and "12 Years a Slave" co-star Dwight Henry, joins Barkhad Abdi and Torrey Wigfield in the Detroit-set indie drama "The Wolf Who Cried Boy," scripted by Luke Jaden ("King Ripple," "The Listing") and Cort Johns ("King Ripple," "The Listing"), who will also be co-directing the film. The story, described as "anti-coming-of-age," centers on a young man who gets swept into the seedy underbelly of the scrapping industry. This film is being produced by Jaden, Johns, Frank Capra III, Phil Wurtzel, Anthony Garth, Michael Zervos, and Andy...