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During the month of October, it’s fairly common for people to talk about spirits. After all, ghosts and demons and the like have become staples of the Halloween season. But for Scooby-Doo, Thirteen Ghosts, and Scream star Matthew Lillard, his latest project deals with a very different kind of spirit: The alcoholic kind.

Lillard joined forces with screenwriter and producer Justin Ware to start Find Familiar Spirits in 2022. Named after a famous Dungeons & Dragons spell, the alcohol brand is dedicated to crafting spirits with the same authenticity and kinship found in fandom. Their first line of products was dubbed Queen’s End Whiskey in honor of fantasy tabletop gaming. But now, in an ode to the horror community, the company has launched Macabre Spirits, which features a series of tequilas that celebrate the genre that the actor has become so entrenched in throughout his career.

While promoting this...

From Scream to Scooby-Doo to Five Nights at Freddy’s, Matthew Lillard has had a stronghold on burgeoning horror fans for generations. The actor has combined his love for genre storytelling and his appreciation for potent potables with Macabre Spirits.

The horror-themed tequila line is the latest from Find Familiar Spirits, Lillard’s fandom-centric alcohol brand that was founded in 2022. It launched with the Dungeons & Dragons-inspired Quest’s End Whiskey, which itself spawned from Lillards D&d company, Beadle & Grimm’s Pandemonium Warehouse.

Lillard explains, “I have a company called Beadle & Grimm’s with four of my best friends from the acting school I went to for college. We’ve been playing Dungeons & Dragons since we were 21, and we started this company that delivers high-end D&d products right to your door.”

Another friend of Lillard’s, Bloodsucking Bastards screenwriter Justin Ware, recognized how Beadle & Grimm’s customer...

Described as “the world’s first tequila made by and for fans of horror,” pre-sales for the horror-themed tequila Macabre Spirits from Matthew Lillard’s company Find Familiar Spirits kicked off last week on the road to Halloween, and we’ve learned today that the band Ice Nine Kills has joined forces with Lillard and Macabre Spirits on a limited merch drop.

Two t-shirts and a hoodie were launched by Ice Nine Kills today as part of the collaboration, and Bloody Disgusting has been informed that the collection is available for One Week Only.

Each bottle of Macabre Spirits is accompanied by an exclusive new 70-page novella, Rare, Fine & Limited, the first novella from modern horror master Mike Flanagan (Fall of the House of Usher, Haunting of Hill House). Designed by Ice Nine Kills, the new merch collection is inspired by Mike Flanagan’s novella, bringing the tale to “disturbing,...

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The timeless Matthew Lillard joins us for a wide-ranging discussion as his new line of tequila, Macabre Spirits, goes on sale (and includes an original novella from horror master Mike Flanagan). Lillard also talks at length about his roles in Scream, Scooby-Doo, Twin Peaks, and more.

A sinister story. A boldly crafted tequila. Rare, Fine & Limited brings you a new way to celebrate the darkness. Pre-order below: https://findfamiliarspirits.com/products/macabre

From the imaginations of Matthew Lillard, Justin Ware (Bloodsucking Bastards) and the award-winning Find Familiar Spirits distillers comes the worlds first tequila made by and for devotees of horror. This premium bottle is paired with the first-ever horror novella from the legendary Mike Flanagan.

The horror genre has been enjoying a renaissance in the 2020's. New stars rose to fame, as genre veterans returned to the fold, reassuming their places in the pantheon of blood and guts. One such prominent figure is Matthew Lillard, whose distinct brand of larger-than-life mannerisms, comedic flair and macabre charm made him a household name in 1996 with Scream. Since then, he has gone on to star in different genres, bringing his charisma with him, from big franchises like Scooby-Doo to indie films. In 2023, he made a huge comeback to the horror scene in Five Nights at Freddy's, and with a sequel on the way, his momentum isn't slowing down.

Just in time for Halloween, Lillard has created something special for his fans: his own line of liquor, Macabre Spirits, made with a little help from some friends in the horror sphere, for horror lovers. In this interview with Cbr,...

For those who like to really indulge in the Halloween season, Find Familiar Spirits’ next high-end curated potable is for the horror fans: Macabre Spirits, referred to as “the world’s first tequila made by and for fans of horror.”

Find Familiar Spirits was founded by Scream star and horror stalwart Matthew Lillard in 2023, who’s teamed up with some impressive names on this release. Macabre Spirits hails from the imagination of Lillard and screenwriter Justin Ware (Bloodsucking Bastards).

But there’s more than just premium Reposado from the Jalisco region to enjoy with this release. Each bottle is accompanied by an exclusive new 70-page novella, Rare, Fine & Limited, described as the first work of fiction from modern horror master Mike Flanagan.

Of the novella and collaboration, Lillard told Forbes, “With Macabre, each bottle launches with a novella, so there’s a short story that goes along with it, which...

Matthew Lillard knows the power of fandoms.

He’s been surrounded by them for decades, having played iconic characters in everything from Scream to Scooby-Doo to Five Nights at Freddy’s, and now his liquor company Find Familiar Spirits is partying up with Critical Role to launch a limited-edition collectible liquor based on their first campaign, Vox Machina.

The liquor, Sandkheg’s Hide, comes straight from episode 65 of the campaign, where Travis Willingham‘s character Grog buys a couple bottles and promptly gets the gang smashed.

In Critical Role’s Dungeons & Dragons universe, Sandkheg’s Hide is secreted by giant insectoids. But Irl, Find Familiar Spirits’ master blender Ale Ochoa made the drink into a bourbon with notes of baked apple, brown spice, shortbread cookies, oak, herbs, dried red fruit, and “a hint of smoke.”

Each bottle ($99) also comes with a 44-page booklet with an original, canon short story written by Jasmine Bhullar,...

Matthew Lillard and Justin Ware have founded a new spirits company, Find Familiar Spirits, which combines high-quality whiskies with original fantasy sagas. Their first product, Quest's End, is a high-end whiskey that will come with a new chapter of an original fantasy saga with each bottle. The flavor profiles of the whiskies are developed by Master Blender Alé Ochoa based on the characters and story, with each whiskey reflecting the qualities and characteristics of the corresponding character.

Matthew Lillard, founder of Beadle and Grimm’s, is making waves in the fantasy world once again with his new, first-of-its-kind whiskey, Quest's End. Lillard and Justin Ware have founded a new spirits company, Find Familiar Spirits, which combines high-quality spirits with fandom. Their first product, Quest's End, will bring fantasy fans not only a new high-end whiskey but also a new chapter of an original fantasy saga with each bottle. Quest's End will debut with "Paladin,...

As Ghost’s September 11-12 headline stand at the Kia Forum looms ever closer, the Grammy Museum® in Los Angeles has unveiled the Ghost Devotional Pop-Up. As the faithful await the return of Papa Emeritus IV and co. to the City of Angels, they are invited to enter the hand crafted, custom built confession booth and bare their souls about why they think Ghost are the best rock band in the world! Make amends and leave atoned, with a souvenir photo of the experience.

The Ghost Devotional Pop-Up was designed and fabricated by Justin Ware of Creativeware (Beastie Boys Exhibit at Orange County Museum of Art) and built by carpenter/welder Greg S. Gilday. The custom created structure will be accompanied by a museum installation displaying Papa Emeritus III’s outfit worn at the 2015 GRAMMYs® —the year Ghost took the Best Metal Performance award for “Cirice” from the band’s third album,...

Exclusive: Ken Jeong (Crazy Rich Asians) and Lochlyn Munro (Riverdale) have signed on to star alongside Zhang Jingchu, Michelle Krusiec and more in Impossible Dream Entertainment’s comedy Tiger Mom, which has entered production in Vancouver.

Zhang leads the U.S. & China co-produced film as Marilyn Khu, a first-generation Chinese-American mother who, unable to control her teenage children, enrolls them in a prestigious disciplinary school called Tiger Academy — run by the no-nonsense Suki Lai (Krusiec) —which is capable of whipping them into Ivy League shape. While Jeong will play Jimmy Khu, a work obsessed husband and father whose parenting style is decidedly out of touch, details as to Munro’s role haven’t been disclosed. Additional cast members set include Alexa Loo (Chad), William Budijanto (Resident Alien), Chloe Pun (Kung Fu), Neil Garguilo (Bloodsucking Bastards) and Nathalie Boltt (District 9).

Impossible Dream Entertainment has teamed for Tiger Mom with Storyoscopic Films,...

Syfy, the channel dedicated to the fiction of science, runs some mind-bending content during prime time. But they shoot short daggers into the brain in the after-hours. Cartoons have taken over the traditional cult movie slot, midnights on Saturday. Tzgz is a late-night block of comedic, animated genre-based programming, made for adults.Syfy’s late-night animation block, Tzgz, is expanding with 3 new series and 2 pilots.

The computer, Hal, on 2001: A Space Odyssey was named after Ibm. Each letter of the villainously nerdy computer’s name is the letter preceding the letter of the giant computer company’s name. Tzgz follows the same tradition, only later. “It Comes After Syfy.”

“What happens when Syfy stays up late? Things. Get. Weird,” Syfy promises in its press statement. “Welcome to Tzgz, where lettuce sings, the undead text, and wizards get high… all before bedtime.”

Syfy launched the 90-minute, late-night adult animation block last fall.

Exclusive: Syfy is expanding the slate of its Tzgz weekly late-night animation block with three series orders and two pilot greenlights.

The network has picked up a second season of Hell Den. Tzgz licensed the first season of the series, but season 2 will be an original, comprised of six 15-minute episodes. It is the same approach Syfy took with the acquired Magical Girl Friendship Squad, which became Tzgz’s first original series after the network in January ordered supersized new episodes to air this summer.

More from Deadline'Battlestar Galactica' & 'Xena: Warrior Princess' April Marathons Set On Syfy'The Magicians' To End With Current Season 5 On Syfy'Day Of The Dead' & 'The Surrealtor' TV Series Ordered By Syfy

Also in January, Tzgz ordered its first internally developed animated pilots, the 15-minute Wild Life and Devil May Care. Wild Life has now been picked up to series. Devil May Care, which remains in consideration,...

Impossible Dream Entertainment and sales firm The Exchange have introduced “Tiger Mom,” a U.S.-China co-produced comedy, at the American Film Market. On the China side, backers include Huacheng Film, TV and Digital Program Company, a subsidiary of Chinese state broadcaster CCTV6, and Beijing Origin Pictures.

The film will star Zhang Jingchu as a first-generation Chinese-American mother who, unable to control her teenage children, enrolls them in a prestigious disciplinary school called Tiger Academy, which is capable of whipping them into Ivy League shape. The school is run by a woman played by Lisa Lu. Michelle Krusiec (“Saving Face”) will also star. Other casting decisions are still in the works.

The film, currently in pre-production, will be directed by Shawn Chou, who is co-writing with Neil Garguilo. Chou, Stefanie Huang, Shaun Redick and his partner, Yvette Yates Redick, are producing. Liu Changjiang, Sam Park and Justin Ware will be executive producers.

Hell Den―a new animated series from Shout! Studios, DrinkTV, and Dr. God―is a six-part series that follows a young boy named Andrew, the fifth horseman of the apocalypse named Kenneth, a mutant cyborg named Bet-c, an alien named Fleek, and a giant in the midst of an apocalypse. Hell Den is now available to stream on DrinkTV.

"DrinkTV, in conjunction with Shout! Studios and Dr. God, is announcing a new show airing exclusively on the streaming platform. Hell Den is an animated series that mixes original animation and re-dubbed cartoons in a deliciously warped and hilarious brew of social satire, musical parody, and good ol’ fashioned absurdist humor. Hell Den is a new take on old cartoons with commentary by an odd group of world-obliterating drinking buddies, one 12-year-old kid, and fun guest voices. Take a shot of Robot Chicken, add a splash of Beavis and Butthead, and...

It’s the last TV party on Earth and it’s pretty twisted. Welcome to Hell Den, the new, animated post-apocalyptic comedy series from Shout! Studios that debuts this Friday on the DrinkTV streaming platform. The show’s first trailer, exclusive to Deadline, is below but it contains coarse humor and is intended for immature adult audiences.

The six-episode series features the subversive riffing talents of the Dr. God comedy troupe as they re-dub vintage clips and crack wise in the satirical traditions of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 , Beavis & Butthead and Robot Chicken. The premise: Civilization has been obliterated but, somehow, a 12-year-old kid named Andrew has survived with his home (and the world’s last stocked liquor cabinet) intact. The TV still works, too, so he’s got some new friends over for a viewing party: Bet-c, the sympathetic but volatile mutant cyborg; Fleek, a sleazy, alcoholic alien; Giantic, a towering,...

There’s a crazy and fun sounding new animated series in development that you might want to know about called Hell Den. The series comes from Shout! Studios and Dr. God and is coming to a streaming service called DrinkTV.

The series is described as being a mix of shows that include Robot Chicken, Beavis and Butthead, and and Mystery Science Theater 3000. The series centers around a 12-year-old boy named Andrew who is one of the few left in a post-uber-apocalypse world and Andrew’s house has electricity, a Vcr, and a full liquor cabinet. Because of this, his place becomes home base for a variety of unique characters in this crazy world.

Hell Den mixes original animation and re-dubbed cartoons to create a blend of social satire, musical parody, and absurdist humor. The series will pay homage to classic old cartoon and will feature original commentary. Here’s...

Halloween may be over, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t great horror and sci-fi movies arriving this Tuesday on Blu-ray and DVD. Scream Factory is keeping themselves busy with the release of both Bloodsucking Bastards and Stung (the latter in conjunction with IFC Midnight), and for those of you creature feature fans out there, Lavalantula comes home on November 3rd.

Other notable releases this week include México Barbaro, The Diabolical, Arrow’s special edition Blu for Tenderness of the Wolves, and The Diabolical.

Bloodsucking Bastards (Scream Factory Blu-ray & DVD)

Bloodsucking Bastards stars Fran Kranz as Evan Sanders, a low-level, dutiful employee stuck in a boring job at a soul-killing every corporation. Evan’s the kind of guy who does all the work and gets none of the credit, but at least he gets to spend his days with his beautiful co-worker/girlfriend Amanda (Emma Fitzpatrick) and...

Creatures of the night co-workers and party-crashing mutant wasps invade home media next week with Scream Factory's respective Blu-ray releases of Bloodsucking Bastards and Stung, and we have clips and trailers from both high-definition horror films.

Bloodsucking Bastards Blu-ray: "An action-packed vampire comedy in the vein of Office Space and Shaun of the Dead, Bloodsucking Bastards stars Fran Kranz (Cabin in the Woods) as Evan Sanders, a dutiful and overworked employee stuck at a soul-killing corporation with his beautiful girlfriend, Amanda (Emma Fitzpatrick, Significant Mother), and his slacker best friend Tim (Joey Kern, Beneath). Evan's world begins to crumble when Amanda dumps him and his boss, Ted (Joel Murray, God Bless America), hands his coveted promotion to his nemesis Max (Pedro Pascal, Game of Thrones). But just when Evan's convinced that life couldn't bite any harder, his office mates start going through disturbing changes… and bodies begin to pile up.

A soul-sucking job turns into a life-draining nightmare for a group of co-workers in Bloodsucking Bastards, hitting Blu-ray next Tuesday from Scream Factory. Ahead of the vampiric horror comedy's home media release, we've been provided with three Blu-ray copies to give away to Daily Dead readers.

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Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of Bloodsucking Bastards.

How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject “Bloodsucking Bastards Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on November 5th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

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Bloodsucking Bastards Blu-ray: "An action-packed vampire comedy in the vein of Office Space and Shaun of the Dead, Bloodsucking Bastards stars Fran Kranz...

A soul-sucking job turns into a life-draining nightmare in Bloodsucking Bastards. Scream Factory's announced a November 3rd Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD release for their office-set horror comedy, and we have a look at the cover art and list of bonus features.

Press Release: This fall, sink your teeth into Bloodsucking Bastards (a.k.a. Bloodsucking Bosses), an action-packed vampire comedy in the vein of Office Space and Shaun of the Dead. Directed by Brian James O’Connell and penned by the popular comedy troupe Dr. God and Ryan Mitts, Bloodsucking Bastards takes audiences on a hilarious, blood-spattered roller coaster ride in the most terrifying locale of all: the American workplace. This film boasts an all-star cast, including Fran Kranz (Cabin in the Woods), Pedro Pascal (Narcos, Game of Thrones), Emma Fitzpatrick (Significant Mother, The Collection), Yvette Yates (Inherent Vice) with Joel Murray (Mad Men) and Joey Kern (Cabin Fever...

In the horror comedy Bloodsucking Bastards—now out in select theaters and VOD from Scream Factory—Fran Kranz plays Evan, a guy who desires a promotion, wants to mend the relationship with his girlfriend, and is faced with destroying a growing vampire infection in the office. Daily Dead recently caught up with the actor to talk about getting doused with buckets of blood, the legacy of The Cabin in the Woods (in which he played the beloved stoner, Marty), and much more.

When you first read the script for Bloodsucking Bastards, what appealed to you the most?

Fran Kranz: When I got the script, I didn’t know where Bloodsucking Bastards was going. I actually sort of missed the title. I’m always a little reluctant to do horror comedies after Cabin in the Woods. I want to be an actor that’s seen in all different genres and...

As I sit here, writing my Bloodsucking Bastards review while glancing over my shoulder towards the only entrance to my cubicle, it’s easy to understand the true horrors of this wittily hilarious vampire splatterfest. One quote in particular hits home all-too closely, when a disgruntled character realizes how perfect his “fluorescent shithole” of an office is for a corporate vamp takeover, given how few windows permit the real world’s beauty from cutting through a demoralizing darkness.

Have we not all become bloodsucking drones, clocking in countless hours of work to achieve that next (meaningless) goal just to keep the numbers crunching and dollars flowing (most of which the average worker won’t see)? The horror of Bloodsucking Bastards is not found through vampire bites, but in stinging corporate satire that seems too smart for a horror comedy – and too damn real.

Written by the L.A. comedy troupe Dr. God,...

Bloodsucking Bastards

Written by Dr. God & Ryan Mitts

Directed by Brian James O’Connell

USA, 2015

What would happen if Joss Whedon and Mike Judge had a cinematic love child? If our puny human brains were capable of comprehending such unmitigated awesomeness, it would probably resemble something like Bloodsucking Bastards. A product of the Los Angeles comedy troupe, Dr. God, this satirical bloodletting starts a bit sluggish, but finishes with an inspired stream of gags and gore. Director Brian James O’Connell has a cult hit on his hands.

This won’t be the first (or last) review to describe Bloodsucking Bastards as Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the television juggernaut, not the abysmal film) meets Office Space. And what the hell is wrong with that, punk?!? Endearingly quirky, sarcastic beyond all measure, and painfully observant, there are more clever one-liners and non-sequiturs packed into this 80 minute bundle than any other 2015 comedy...

In early August, I met up with my longtime friends Brian James O'Connell, Justin Ware, Neil W. Garguilo, David F. Park and Sean Cowhig, collectively known as the improv troupe Dr. God, to discuss their fantastic workplace vampire comedy Bloodsucking Bastards. I've known these guys for years, from hanging out at iO West in Hollywood, where they perform as Dr. God, so I thought it would be great to get them all in one place to talk about their movie, which hits theaters in limited release and on VOD September 4 through Shout! Factory. So, we all convened at the Mud Hen Tavern in Hollywood to talk about Bloodsucking Bastards, over a Bloody Mary-filled brunch. Part of me wants to just print the entire 90-minute, tangent-filled "interview" below, because there is just so much hilarity in one place. But, instead, I'll just present a lengthy rundown of our afternoon, which...

The genre theatrical imprint of Shout! Factory will open the film in select cinemas across top Us markets and on VOD on September 4.

Fran Kranz, Pedro Pascal, Emma Fitzpatrick, Yvette Yates

with Joel Murray and Joey Kern star in the Slamdance 2015 selection about of an office worker who learns a rival colleague is a vampire.

Brian James O’Connell directed from a screenplay by comedy pairing Dr. God and Ryan Mitts.

Fortress Features’ Brett Forbes and Patrick Rizzotti produced in association with Brandon Evans of Maybe This Year Productions, Colleen Hard, and Justin Ware.

Shout! Factory has brought on Ruth Vitale of The Film Collective and Mj Peckos of Dada Films to handle the theatrical launch and Meyer Shwarzstein of Brainstorm Media for VOD roll-out.

Shout! Factory founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos made the announcement on Wednesday.

A soul-sucking job turns into a blood-draining nightmare when a vampire uses macabre motivation on his employees in Scream Factory's Bloodsucking Bastards, which has now been set for a September 4th release in select theaters and VOD.

Press Release: "Los Angeles, CA – (July 1, 2015) – Scream Factory™ Films, a genre theatrical imprint of Shout! Factory, announced today that action-packed horror-comedy Bloodsucking Bastards will open in select cinemas across top U.S. markets and on VOD September 4, 2015. The announcement was made by Shout! Factory’s founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer, and Garson Foos.

Directed by Brian James O’Connell and penned by the popular comedy troupe Dr. God and Ryan Mitts, Bloodsucking Bastards recently made its world premiere as the opening night film at the Slamdance Film Festival 2015 and has since played at numerous film festivals to press acclaim and great audience enthusiasm. The film boasts an all-star cast including Fran Kranz (Cabin...

Details the upcoming convention screening of Bloodsucking Bastards, as well as casting updates for the Scream TV series and AMC's Preacher pilot, are featured in our latest round-up.

Bloodsucking Bastards: The office-set horror comedy Bloodsucking Bastards will screen at the Texas Frightmare Weekend on May 2nd at 8pm:

Press Release -- "An Office Space meets Shaun of the Dead action-packed horror comedy, Bloodsucking Bastards stars Fran Kranz as Evan Sanders, a low-level, dutiful employee stuck in a boring job at a soul-killing every corporation. Evan’s the kind of guy who does all the work and gets none of the credit, but at least he gets to spend his days with his beautiful co-worker/girlfriend Amanda (Emma Fitzpatrick) and his slacker best friend Tim (Joey Kern).

Unfortunately, it all falls apart in one fell swoop when Amanda breaks up with him and Evan’s boss Ted (Joel Murray) hands...

Exclusive: La-based sales outfit brings It’s Already Tomorrow In Hong Kong and Bloodsucking Bastards to Filmart.

Roman Kopelevich’s Red Sea Media is to handle all international sales for It’s Already Tomorrow In Hong Kong and is debuting the romantic comedy to buyers this week at Filmart.

Directed and written by Emily Ting, the film stars Jamie Chung (Big Hero 6) and Bryan Greenberg (Friends With Benefits), and was produced by Ting with Sophia Shek.

Chung plays a Chinese American who visits Hong Kong for the first time and meets a Us expat (Greenberg). But as romance blossoms, time is not on their side.

The rights deal was negotiated by Kopelevich for Red Sea Media and Ari Haas of Sedgemoore Pictures on behalf of the filmmakers.

Ting said: “We shot the film in Hong Kong last summer and I couldn’t be happier to be returning ‘home’ a year later with the finished product.”

Bloodsucking...

Shout! Factory, a leading multi- platform entertainment company, has acquired the North American rights to Bloodsucking Bastards, a vampire comedy-horror feature directed by Brian James O'Connell and penned by the comedy troupe Dr. God from an original script by Ryan Mitts. The announcement was made today by Shout! Factory's founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos, and the producers of the film, Fortress Features founders Brett Forbes and Patrick Rizzotti, and Maybe This Year (Mty) Productions founder Brandon Evans. In this picture deal, Shout! Factory secured exclusive North American rights to Bloodsucking Bastards, including theatrical, home entertainment, digital distribution and broadcast for cross-platform releases in the U.S. and Canada. Here's what Jordan Fields, Associate Vice President of Acquisitions.

"Dr. God has made a gem of a horror comedy that fans will be quoting for years to come. It has the broad appeal of a mainstream hit, but the...

Bathed in fluorescent lights, the telemarketing office where Evan (Fran Kranz of The Cabin in the Woods) works seems to be sucking the life out of his soul, but he’ll have to worry about the same thing happening to his lifeblood when a vampire takes his sought-after promotion. Such is the horror-comedy setup in Bloodsucking Bastards, a recent Slamdance screening that Shout! Factory just picked up:

Press Release - “Los Angeles / New York / Park City (January 29, 2015) – Shout! Factory, a leading multi- platform entertainment company, has acquired the North American rights to Bloodsucking Bastards, a vampire comedy-horror feature directed by Brian James O’Connell and penned by the comedy troupe Dr. God from an original script by Ryan Mitts. The announcement was made today by Shout! Factory’s founder Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos, and the producers of the film.

In this picture deal, Shout! Factory secured exclusive...

Multi-platform entertainment company Shout! Factory has acquired North American rights to “Bloodsucking Bastards,” a vampire comedy-horror feature directed by Brian James O’Connell and written by the comedy troupe Dr. God based on an original script by Ryan Mitts, TheWrap has learned.

The film’s producers and Shout! Factory’s founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos announced that the rights deal includes theatrical, home entertainment, digital distribution and broadcast for cross-platform releases in the U.S. and Canada.

Described as “Office Space” meets “Shaun of the Dead,” the film stars Fran Kranz (“Cabin in the Woods”) as an...

Axs TV’s “Seriously. Funny. Thursdays” returns Jan. 15 with new episodes of the stand-up comedy series “Gotham Comedy Live” and a second season of the original talking-head comedy series “MOCKpocalypse,” TheWrap has learned.

“Gotham Comedy Live” is an hour-long live comedy series filmed at the famed Gotham Comedy Club in New York. Veteran comedian Sinbad will perform alongside emerging comics on “Gotham Comedy Live,” which is now in its fourth season.

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Also Read: Comedy Group Dr. God Sets Up Axs TV Show, Wraps First Feature (Exclusive)

Hailing from Los Angeles-based comedy troupe Dr. God, this season of “MOCKpocalypse” finds...

Los Angeles-based comedy group Dr. God is taking its collective talents to both the big and small screens with its upcoming film “Bloodsucking Bastards” and the soon-to-air TV series “MOCKpocalypse,” TheWrap has learned. Consisting of Sean Cowhig, Neil Garguilo, Brian James O'Connell, David Park and Justin Ware, Dr. God is an improv and sketch comedy group that has achieved national popularity in the alternative comedy scene. Dr. God (pictured above) has partnered with Fortress Features and Mty Productions to produce the horror comedy “Bloodsucking Bastards,” which O'Connell recently directed from a script that Dr. God co-wrote with Ryan Mitts. Also...

It was no surprise to hear this week that studios already have sequels like The Avengers 2 and Smurfs 3 in the works, but with Cannes kicking off, there are bound to be many more, new and exciting projects announced soon. In the meantime, here are a few interesting and/or noteworthy projects that were recently added to IMDbPro's database of development titles:

Amazing Girl – Zoe Saldana stars in this project from Transformers producer Ian Bryce. Written by Pool Boys scribe Justin Ware, the comedy centers on a burnt-out superhero looking to make a fresh start for herself as a normal civilian.

They Came Together – Parks and Recreation rivals Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler are set to star in this romcom from their Wet Hot American Summer creators David Wain and Michael Showalter. Lionsgate is producing the project with Wain on board to direct.

D – Roman Polanski reunites with his Ghost Writer scribe Robert Harris for this dramatic feature based on the scandalous Dreyfus Affair, which involved the wrongful conviction of a Jewish French captain who was accused of treason in the late 19th Century and sentenced to death.

This Man, This Woman – Pariah filmmaker Dee Rees has been tapped to direct this indie drama about a divorced couple who begin to rekindle their relationship after randomly being seated next to each other on an airplane. Veteran screenwriter Frederic Raphael (Two for the Road, Eyes Wide Shut) penned the script. Mike Lobell produces.

Cali – Nick Cassavettes teams up with Twilight's Kristen Stewart for this action comedy about a guy and a girl trying to flee L.A., but are forced to return in order to save the woman's sister. Voltage Pictures and New School Media are producing the film written by 30:Minutes or Less writer Michael Diliberti.

If you know of something in the works, please consider submitting it for listing it via our online submission form.

With his HBO series Entourage coming to an end after eight seasons, Kevin Connolly has shaken things up and signed with CAA. Connolly will be looking to build a career beyond the series that launched him, in which he plays Vincent Chase’s childhood friend-turned-manager. Connolly will do it both as an actor and a director. He’s been seen in Secretariat, He’s Just Not That Into You, The Ugly Truth and The Notebook. He directed the 2007 indie feature Gardener of Eden, and helmed the second-to-last episode of Entourage. He’ll next direct the comedy Adrenaline, scripted by Justin Ware. Connolly had been at Wme. Principato/Young continues to manage him.

By Jeff Sneider 

Exclusive

TheWrap has exclusively learned that "Entourage" star Kevin Connolly will direct the comedy "Adrenaline" from a script by up-and-coming screenwriter Justin Ware.

Story follows a buttoned-up corporate guy who gets sucked into his crazy assistant's scheme of seducing women by staging heroic acts. He finds he has his work cut out for him when he sets his sights on his beautiful co-worker who is immune to his ...

Scribe Justin Ware has dialed into a project with Fox Atomic, selling the label an original pitch titled Wake Up Call. Smallville creators Al Gough and Miles Millar are on board to produce.

The project -- a high-concept comedy along the lines of Wedding Crashers -- becomes the fifth that Ware has penned that is either in development or production, including Adrenaline, Amazing Girls, Handymen and the recently wrapped American Summer.

Recent projects for Gough and Millar include penning the screenplay for "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," set for release in the summer.

Ware is represented by the Gersh Agency. Gough and Millar are repped by WMA.