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A24 isn't slowing down when it comes to pumping out films. We have A24 horror movies such as MaXXXine, Heretic and The Front Room slated to be released in theaters this year, and now we've just learned that the cinematic powerhouse will be producing and financing a new horror thriller titled Mice. Not much is known about the movie at the moment, but we shared everything we know so far below.

American film director David Bruckner is signed on to direct the film from a screenplay co-written by Todd Spence and Zak White. This marks Spence and White's first major sale at a major studio. They're longtime collaborators who have previously worked together on many short films. One of their most recent collaborations was co-writing the scripts for two episodes of the horror anthology series Creepshow.

Bruckner is best known for working on the cult anthology horror series V/H/S. The...

David Bruckner, who has directed The Ritual, The Night House, and the Hellraiser reboot, as well as segments of The Signal, V/H/S, Southbound, V/H/S/85, and episodes of the Shudder Creepshow series, is gearing up to direct a new remake of The Blob – and Deadline reports that he has already lined up another genre project. Bruckner will be directing the mysterious horror thriller Mice for A24.

Details on the plot of Mice are being kept under wraps. Whatever the story it is, it has come from the minds of writing duo Todd Spence and Zak White. Spence and White also have Creepshow experience, as they wrote the stories Doodles, George Romero in 3D, and Something Burrowed, Something Blue for the fourth season of the series. They have also written and co-directed several short films. A24 picking up the Mice package marks the first time Spence and White...

David Bruckner (V/H/S, Southbound, The Ritual, The Night House, Hellraiser) has set up his next horror movie, with Deadline reporting today that Bruckner will direct a horror movie project titled Mice that’s being financed and produced by the horror masters at A24.

Deadline notes in their exclusive report, “Todd Spence and Zak White penned the script and the spec marks their first sale to a major studio, quite the sale for first time scribes.”

It’s a horror movie, we know that much, but plot details for Mice are being kept under wraps for now. If it brought A24 on board, we expect it’s a damn good horror script. Stay tuned.

A24 has been one of the leading forces within the genre for the last several years, with projects on the horizon including MaXXXine, The Front Room, Heretic, and “Crystal Lake.”

It’s a good time to be a horror fan.

The legendary Rita Moreno is the teacher of your nightmares in the dark comedy thriller The Prank, set for a UK release next week! Also starring Connor Kalopsis (Outmatched) and Ramona Young (Never Have I Ever), The Prank is written by Rebecca Flinn-White (Period’s Big Adventure) and Zak White (Creepshow) and directed by Maureen Bharoocha (Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin).

Ben has a stern, mean and cruel physics teacher, Mrs. Wheeler. She has been teaching at the school for decades and has a reputation for being the hardest, coldest, strictest faculty member. She fails Ben’s entire class unless a student who cheated comes forward. But when no one does, Tanner and Ben hatch a plan to ruin her life and frame her for murder on social media.

The Prank will be available on digital platforms June 24th, courtesy of Signature Entertainment. Check out the trailer and poster below:...

Exclusive: Iconic Events has taken domestic rights to The Prank, a dark comedy starring Egot winner Rita Moreno (West Side Story), Connor Kalopsis (Outmatched) and Ramona Young (Never Have I Ever), from Xrm Media and Sneak Preview Entertainment.

Directed by Maureen Bharoocha (Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin), the SXSW 2022 crowd pleaser will hit approximately 200 screens on March 15. Myriad Pictures is selling international rights at EFM.

The film scripted by Rebecca Flinn-White (Period’s Big Adventure) and Zak White (Creepshow) follows Ben (Kalopsis), who is your typical high-school overachiever. He’s organized, careful, goal-oriented and extremely dedicated to school. His best friend, Tanner (Young), couldn’t be more opposite. She is a lackadaisical, messy, slacker, who lives in the moment. They aren’t popular, but they don’t seem to care that much because they have each other.

Ben has a stern, mean and cruel physics teacher, Mrs. Wheeler (Moreno). She...

Rita Moreno stars in mystery dark comedy.

Myriad Pictures has boarded international sales rights and is in talks with AFM buyers on Xrm Media and Sneak Preview Entertainment’s mystery dark comedy The Prank starring Rita Moreno.

Kirk D’Amico is screening the film today (November 2). Maureen Bharoocha directed the story of high school best friends who set out to get revenge on their cruel teacher (Moreno) after she threatens to fail the entire class when one student is suspected of cheating.

What starts out as an innocent prank soon spirals out of control, engulfing the school in a mystery. The...

It’s set during the senior year of Ben (Connor Kalopsis), the kind of obsessive-compulsive overachiever who prints out several backup copies of his homework assignments, and Tanner (Ramona Young), a hacker, high on energy drinks, who’s his equally brainy but less responsible best friend. These two exist in their own unpopular cloistered geek space. But then fate throws a curveball at the striving-to-be-perfect Ben.

His AP physics class is run by the most infamous teacher at West Greenview High: a veteran instructor named Mrs. Wheeler — played, in a performance of must-see deviousness and passive-aggressive glee, by Rita Moreno. Mrs. Wheeler, with great pride, presents herself as the ultimate stern taskmaster, a kind of knowingly formidable teacher-as-drill-sergeant. She’s not just explaining the intricacies of physics (which she’s actually quite good at); she’s “training young minds” to be ready for everything the world will throw at them.

If you go to see this, The Prank’s on you.

Unspeakably lame in every department—writing, directing, acting and intent—this immature little goof on a high school murder mystery is notable only for the presence of Rita Moreno, looking and sounding some twenty years younger than her actual 90 as a sinister school teacher who should have retired and abandoned her wicked ways while she was still ahead. Absurdly plotted and handicapped by two massively unappealing lead teen characters, this is a very unlikely entry in any film festival, but it nonetheless did debut at South by Southwest.

None of Maureen Bharoocha’s three previous films over the past seven years—Fatal Flip, I Am Watching You and the decently reviewed Golden Arm—has served to put her firmly on the map, and matters are not bound to change due to the dim-witted plot, lame dialogue and thoroughly obnoxious...

Despite releasing a retrospective documentary about her astounding eight-decade career, Rita Moreno shows no signs of slowing down. The 90-year-old Egot winner has reinvented herself many times over the years, but she dons yet another beguiling disguise as a psychopathic physics teacher in the dark teen comedy “The Prank.” Her sleek black Cadillac may be an obvious nod to Cruella de Vil, but Moreno’s severe Mrs. Wheeler looks more like a Bond villain in her precise grey bob and black leather gloves.

Most of “The Prank” revolves around two squeaky-voiced teenagers: floppy-haired overachiever Ben (Connor Kalopsis) and ditzy-but-brilliant slacker Tanner (Ramona Young), broadly sketched types we’ve seen a million times. The outsized caricatures work when it comes to Mrs. Wheeler, whose slight stature collides playfully with the outsized fear she instills in her students. But the tired Gen Z tropes and cheesy one liners suck the life out...

"Ho ho ho! I'm going to unwrap your skull." Have a holly, jolly Christmas! It's the best time of the year... As long as Santa isn't killing you, then there will be plenty of cheer. How about a fun Christmas horror short to warm up these holiday days? Jolly is a new short film by from Todd Spence & Zak White. The two have been cooking up under-5-minute, low budget horror shorts for the last few years - including Where Is It and this year's Fear Wish. Jolly, about an animatronic Santa head, also stars Todd Spence with Zak White as the voice of Santa. These guys are damn good at putting together homemade shorts that are slyly entertaining and extremely creepy without much happening, which isn't as easy at it seems. Just don't make Santa angry. Thanks to Todd for the tip on this. Description from YouTube: "An...

Exclusive: Egot winner Rita Moreno has been cast in a starring role in the feature film The Prank, to be directed by Maureen Bharoocha (Golden Arm), opposite Connor Kalopsis and Ramona Young (Never Have I Ever). Filming begins this month in and around Los Angeles.

The Prank follows two high school students who play a prank on their physics teacher, Mrs. Wheeler, played by Moreno. When she fails them on a test; they teach the imperious, demanding, insulting instructor a lesson by falsely accusing her of the murder of a missing student.

Other cast in The Prank includes Keith David, Meredith Salenger, Jonathan Kimmel, Nathan Janak and Kate Flannery.

The dark comedy is written by Rebecca Flinn-White & Zak White. Bharoocha was recently named IndieWire’s Rising Female Directors of 2020, was on HBO’s 2018 Director’s List, and was nominated for the SXSW 2020 Adam Yauch Hörnblowér Visionary Directing Award.

"Which one of these houses do you live in?" Don't forget your mask! Or else. This creepy new horror short is from filmmakers Zak White and Todd Spence, the same duo that makes lots of horror shorts all year long for Midnight Video. Face Mask is their latest creation, a social commentary horror about the pandemic and dangerous anti-mask idiots, as well as a very unsettling short with a wicked twist. When one man takes the trash out and is confronted by a neighbor one night, things get a bit tense. Starring Bill Parmentier and Zachary Allen Farmer. The mask guy's look and voice and everything about him is just so creepy. Spence & White, who let Adam Huber & Dan Allen direct this one, are always so good about taking a simple concept and making it super scary with some discomforting filmmaking tricks. And also writing something that comments on the...

Happy Friday, dear readers! Today, we have a new batch of short films on tap for you to enjoy as you head into the weekend, and it seems that fear and instincts are the working themes of this trio of shorts.

For this installment of Daily Dead’s Salutes Your Shorts column, we have the latest collaboration from Todd Spence and Zak White, Fear Wish, as well as Neil Stevens’ The Monster and the beautifully animated award-winning Garden Party.

Happy viewing, everyone!

Fear Wish (Directed by Todd Spence & Zak White)

Synopsis: To wish for something you need, you have to wish for something you fear.

The Monster (Directed by Neil Stevens)

Synopsis: A young boy terrified of monsters enlists his Dad for help getting over his fear.

Garden Party

Synopsis: In a deserted villa, a couple of amphibians explore their surroundings and follow their primal instincts.

To watch this short film,...

"In order to wish for something you need, you gotta wish for something you fear. Otherwise that first wish goes away." Yet another tense, low key horror short film from Todd Spence & Zak White. The two have been cooking up under-5-minute, low budget horror shorts for the last few years - including Where Is It and last year's Your Date is Here. Fear Wish is their latest short and it's about a desperate man trying to wish for something he needs. Starring Nathan Sutton, with Scott Whyte and Amy McRoberts. I really enjoy their shorts because they're so simple but effective, taking a jump scare and clever concept and wrapping it with some quality writing. They're not reinventing the horror-short-wheel, but they are always fun to watch. Thanks to Todd for the tip on this. Short description from YouTube: "To wish for something you need, you have to wish for something you fear.

Happy Halloween Weekend, everyone! The most magical time of the year is nearly upon us, and what better way to get you in the mood for All Hallows’ Eve than by checking out a new collection of short horror films as part of Daily Dead’s ongoing celebration of gut-punch genre storytelling.

For this installment of “Salutes Your Shorts,” featured entries include Mikus, the latest from Todd Spence and Zak White, James Morris’ Is That You?, Grandma’s House by Joshua Giuliano, and Parker Brennon’s Haunt Me.

Mikus (Directed by Todd Spence & Zak White)

Synopsis: Your childhood is a dangerous thing to forget.

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Is That You? (Directed by James Morris)

Synopsis: Confined to her bedroom on Halloween night, Whitney notices an eerie figure lurking outside her home.

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Grandma’s House (Directed by Joshua Giuliano)

Synopsis: An Old Woman. Alone. At night.



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Haunt Me (Directed by Parker...

A few months ago, one of the topics discussed on a "Horrigins" episode of Corpse Club was that there are a lot of amazing short films out there, but it can be hard for fans to keep up with all of the content that gets released over time. With that in mind, this writer thought it would be fun to turn the spotlight onto the short format horrors on the internet once a month with our new column series, Daily Dead Salutes Your Shorts.

For our second installment, we have quite the variety of shorts for your enjoyment, including Your Date is Here from Todd Spence and Zak White, the perfect tribute to everyone’s favorite cuddly creatures in Gremlins: Recall, the award-winning short Dawn of the Deaf, and Zena S. Dixon’s Night of the Witch.

Your Date is Here (Directed by Todd Spence & Zak White): After dusting...

"Maybe you got the dweeb?" Just in time for some Valentine's Day scares, enjoy this new horror short film from filmmakers Todd Spence and Zak White called Your Date is Here. It's nice and short (only 6 minutes!), with a fun premise, and it's effective at building up the suspense. Your Date is Here stars Becca Flinn and Dani Tiernan as a mother and daughter playing a board game one night. Things start to get weird and creepy as they keep playing, and then the pizza shows up. I'm always impressed by how easy it is to take such a simple premise, with only two characters, and create a short film that is actually effectively scary and gripping to watch. The power of great filmmaking! You don't even need a huge budget to make a good film. Official description from YouTube: "After dusting off an old Mystery Date-style board game,...

As we head towards a new year, we still have plenty to celebrate in the horror and sci-fi genres in 2017, including a new trailer and release details for Like Me, which tops today's Horror Highlights. We also have details on Nitehawk Shorts Festival's streaming partnership with Sundance Now and Shudder, information on Screambox's "New Year, New Fear" titles, Hero Complex Gallery's Back to the Future screen prints, and a trailer for Cannibal Farm.

Like Me Trailer & Release Details: Kino Lorber will release Like Me in theaters on January 26th, followed by a VOD release in February. Written and directed by Robert Mockler, the film stars Addison Timlin, Ian Nelson, Larry Fessenden, and Jeremy Gardner. In case you missed it, read our own Heather Wixson's SXSW review of the film here.

Synopsis: "A reckless loner (Addison Timlin, Fallen, Little Sister) sets out on a crime spree that she broadcasts on social media.

"Oh, that's okay, it came with the house anyway, so... no big deal, I guess!" We're almost into October, which means it's just about time for the horror season. To kick things off (a bit early) we're sharing this fun, freaky horror short film titled Where Is It, from co-directors Zak White and Todd Spence. This clever little horror short is about two friends who connect up over FaceTime for a chat. One of them just returned home from a trip, and the other watched her house while she was away. She accidentally broke an old mirror that was on the wall, neither thinks much of it. But apparently it has some importance to someone in the house. Thanks to io9 for the tip on this short. Original description from YouTube: "It's a simple question...and you better have the answer." Where Is It is directed by filmmakers Zak White...

Making a terrifying full length horror film can be tricky, but the pressure doubles when trying to scare viewers in 5 minutes or less. A new horror short, Where Is It, effectively crams a healthy dose of dread and suspense into a 3.5 minute timeframe. Directed by Todd Spence and Zak White, the film stars Whitney […]...