News

Prepare yourself for the violence of the lambs, because Black Sheep is coming to 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on September 3 via Australia’s Umbella Entertainment.

The 2006 New Zealand horror comedy newly restored in 4K, supervised by writer-director Jonathan King, with Hdr.

Special features:

Audio Commentary by Writer-Director Jonathan King and Actor Nathan Meister Audio Commentary by Critics Matt Donato and Rob Hunter (new) Interview with Writer-Director Jonathan King (new) From Bad Taste to Black Sheep: Mapping the Gory History of New Zealand Splatstick with Dr Alfio Leotta (new) Genetic Experiments Gone Wrong in Film with David Michael Brown (new) Jonathan King Interviewed by The Bazura Project 2007 (new) A Ewe-nique Transformation: Make-up Test (new) The Making of Black Sheep featurette 5 Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Jonathan King and Nathan Meister Blooper Reel Cast and Crew Interviews B-Roll Trailer

The standard version, which comes with a slipcase featuring new art by Austen Mengler,...

Since several decades the horror genre has enjoyed quite a big fan following and popularity with several movies hitting the big screens every now and then. But in this plethora of projects, only a few manage to leave an everlasting impression on the viewers. One such movie was Black Sheep released in 2006, directed by Jonathan King. It presented a very unique combination of horror and comedy with an out-of-the-box storyline.

The movie stars Nathan Meister and presents the plot of genetically modified sheep going on a bloody spree. As soon as it was released, it managed to win the audience over with its quirky horror. Amidst this, fans also wondered if the makers would bring out a sequel to it or not.

A still from Black Sheep | Credits: Icon Film Distribution

Now almost two decades later, King and Meister are all set to bring back the horror-comedy movie Black Sheep...

Fans of cult classic New Zealand horror Black Sheep will be surprised to discover the bonkers gore-fest is officially getting a sequel after almost 20 years. According to Deadline, original director and star Jonathan King and Nathan Meister, respectively, are returning for more of the horror-comedy that answered the question of what would happen if a bunch of sheep turned into bloodthirsty creatures long before The Boys offered up their take on the idea.

For those unfamiliar with the original, Black Sheep took the idea of genetic experiments gone wrong and added a touch of low-budget absurdity into the mix. The end result was a movie that followed Henry Oldfield (Meister), who, while dealing with his phobia-level fear of sheep, becomes caught up in a horrifying nightmare of the wooly kind. What begins as odd behavior among the flocks very quickly becomes something more sinister as the sheep population takes a...

The director of the splattery good gore-fest Black Sheep (review here), Jonathan King, has a new flick coming out from Lionsgate and Lightning Media called Under the Mountain, and though it's been given a PG-13 rating, we're still confident enough in King's filmmaking chops to insist that this one is worth a look!

Look for the flick to hit DVD courtesy of Lionsgate on August 10th. Sam Neill, Sophie McBride, Tom Cameron, Leon Wadham, and Oliver Driver star.

Synopsis

When teenage twins Rachel and Theo investigate the creepy old house next door, they discover the Wilberforces - shape-shifting creatures that lurk beneath Auckland’s ring of extinct volcanoes.

Guided by the mysterious Mr. Jones and with the help of their older cousin, Ricky, the twins must rekindle the unique powers they once shared if they are to destroy this ancient evil - before it destroys them.

Under the Mountain - Festival Trailer

Uploaded by dreadcentral.

The director of the splattery good gore-fest Black Sheep (review here), Jonathan King, has a new flick coming out from Lionsgate and Lightning Media called Under the Mountain, and though it's been given a PG-13 rating, we're still confident enough in King's filmmaking chops to insist that this one is worth a look!

Though no firm release date has been given, look for the DVD to hit late this year or possibly early next. Sam Neill, Sophie McBride, Tom Cameron, Leon Wadham, and Oliver Driver star.

Synopsis

When teenage twins Rachel and Theo investigate the creepy old house next door, they discover the Wilberforces - shape-shifting creatures that lurk beneath Auckland’s ring of extinct volcanoes.

Guided by the mysterious Mr. Jones and with the help of their older cousin, Ricky, the twins must rekindle the unique powers they once shared if they are to destroy this ancient evil - before it destroys them.

Horror news site Bloody-Disgusting is announcing that Under the Mountain has been picked up by both Lightning Entertainment and Lionsgate Films for distribution in North America. The film involves two twins who discover "shape-shifting" creatures beneath a group of extinct volcanoes (Bloody). The trailer for the film, if you are unfamiliar, is below.

The synopsis for Under the Mountain here:

"Teenage twins Rachel and Theo investigate the creepy old house next door, they discover the Wilberforces - shape-shifting creatures that lurk beneath Auckland’s ring of extinct volcanoes. Guided by the mysterious Mr Jones and with the help of their older cousin Ricky, the twins must rekindle the unique powers they once shared if they are to destroy this ancient evil - before it destroys them" (Bloody).

Release Date: Unknown.

Director: Jonathan King.

Writers: Maurice Gee, and Matthew Grainger.

Cast: Tom Cameron, Matthew Chamberlain, Oliver Driver, Matt Gillanders, Sam Neill,...

HTML clipboardThe following is from Michael's Official Site and is upcoming roles for 2009.

28 February 2009: Legend of the Seeker episode 1.13 "Revenant"

Michael is appearing as the evil wizard Amfortas in the episode "Revenant" of the tv series Legend of the Seeker. It will air in syndication in the USA beginning 28 February. Go to the show's official website to find the time and channel in your area (USA only).

13 March 2009-10 April 2009: Life is a Dream

Michael will be directing his own adaptation of Pedro Calderon de la Barca’s Life is a Dream, a masterpiece from the Spanish Golden Age which is an exultant journey through a fairy-tale landscape of destiny, desire and illusion. A Silo Theatre production (in conjunction with AK09), it will be presented at the Herald Theatre in repretory with Oliver Driver's Back Story, a devised piece. The two plays together will comprise the second...

Although the image is pretty small, if you click over to Twitch Film you can check out the first official image from Jonathan King's (Black Sheep) latest horror entry, Under The Mountain, which stars Sam Neill (first image here), Sophie McBride, Tom Cameron, Leon Wadham and Oliver Driver. When teenage twins Rachel and Theo investigate the creepy old house next door, they discover the Wilberforces - shape-shifting creatures that lurk beneath Aucklands ring of extinct volcanoes. Guided by the mysterious Mr Jones and with the help of their older cousin Ricky, the twins must rekindle the unique powers they once shared if they are to destroy this ancient evil - before it destroys them.

Some good news regarding the next project from Kiwi director Jonathon King who brought us last year’s Midnight Madness treat the were-sheep film, Black Sheep. There has been a cast announcement and our friends over at BloodyDisgusting broke the news today.

Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, In the Mouth of Madness, The Omen III, Event Horizon), Sophie McBride, Tom Cameron, Leon Wadham and Oliver Driver (Black Sheep) have both be signed to topline in Jonathan King’s Under the Mountain, which is currently in production. When teenage twins investigate the creepy old house next door, they discover shape-shifting creatures that lurk beneath a ring of extinct volcanoes in a subterranean world.

Under the Mountain will be an adaptation of teen fantasy by the same name by author Maurice Gee.

IFC First Take/Weinstein Co.

Clocking in at a brisk 87 minutes, Black Sheep is a giddily subversive addition to the age-old cinema tradition of the horror comedy. A New Zealand production from top to bottom, this bloody, deadpan satire is the latest release from the Weinstein Co. and IFC First Take. Grossly well-made in all departments, this could just catch on if collegians can pull themselves away from Knocked Up. Ewe will love this movie.

Writer-director Jonathan King sets his angry-sheep opus on a picturesque New Zealand ranch, where, in a prologue, we learn that our preteen hero, Henry, has a rabid fear of both sheep and his annoying older brother, Angus. This wouldn't be a problem except that their father is the owner-manager of the sprawling sheep station.

The action picks up 15 years hence, as the adult Henry Oldfield (Nathan Meister), who apparently spent the intervening years far from country pastures and in therapy, returns to the old homestead. Since the death of their father, the haughty and greedy Angus Oldfield (Peter Feeney) has been running the family business. Henry is coming back only to sign over his half of their inheritance to his Big Brother and be done with sheep forever.

From this jumping-off point, everything that could possibly go wrong, of course, does. A dippy eco-terrorist, Grant (Oliver Driver), and his slightly more level-headed girlfriend, Experience (Danielle Mason, in the film's best performance), unwittingly uncover (literally) genetic sheep experiments Angus has been perfecting in a diabolical secret lab on the property. The result is mutant killer sheep run amok and Henry freaking out as his worst nightmare becomes reality. The bulk of the story finds Henry, Experience and strapping, sympathetic farmhand Tucker (Tammy Davis) running for their lives, from lea to seaside cliff to shearing shed to toxic sheep-refuse pit to the slaughterhouse, etc.

The screenplay successfully ties together our three heroes' quest to save both themselves and the ranch, while evil Angus and his stock genetic scientists/henchpersons-for-hire are about to welcome an international array of agri-business tycoons at a demo of his better brand of "animal." This outdoor presentation unfolds at the climax of the film, by which point what seems like millions of pissed-off sheep attack -- and more than one cast member is mysteriously behaving baaa-dly.

New Zealand's well-known effects house, Weta Workshop, led by multiple Oscar winner Richard Taylor (the Lord of the Rings trilogy), provided the special effects. Dave Elsey served as creature supervisor.