Exclusive: Check Out the Trailer for Prime Video Series CHASER

The new sci-fi series Chaser is available to rent on Prime Video from today and we have the first look at the fantastic trailer.

A hit on the independent festival circuit, Chaser won Best Series at both the Birmingham Film & TV Festival and Star International Film Festival in 2024, and received nominations for Best Series, as well as nominations for Best Actor (Russ Russo), Best Supporting Actor (Daniel de Weldon), and Best Actress (Gia Bay) at Breaking TV Festival 2023 in London. Chaser was a finalist at the Stockholm Film & Television Festival and a semi-finalist at Blow-Up International Arthouse Film Festival.

Chaser is an eight-episode sci-fi drama following the life of struggling film editor Eddi Sebastian (Russ Russo). Frustrated with his life and work, Eddi experiences a life-changing event as he discovers a mysterious software that lets him cut and edit his life from the past 24 hours. Each half-hour episode sees Eddi drawn further and further into a new, mysterious world – only partly of his own creation – and chronicles the increasingly dark, compounding consequences of his editing decisions.

This erudite show is part of a wider trend in entertainment towards cerebral science fiction, be it the new Netflix series 3 Body Problem, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part 2 or Severance or Foundation on Apple – sci-fi that’s less about epic space battles and more about intellect, is very much de rigueur in 2024. This series asks us to consider the ethics of changing the past,  our role in manipulating the choices of others, and the complexities of the butterfly effect, where one small change can unleash devastating effects.

Fans of Russo will remember him from his previous roles in Ryan Phillippe’s directorial debut, Catch Hell, the acclaimed short Victim No. Six, NBC’s Revolution, and feature film An Act of War for which he won Best Actor at the New York-based Take Two Film Festival. Alongside Russo, Chaser features Daniel de Weldon, star of the critically acclaimed horror film Anonymous 616, and Gia Bay, who can be seen on Season 5 of What We Do In The Shadows and as Chozanne Lopez on Diggstown.

The series is written and directed by Daniel Roemer, whose previous work includes the feature film Gray, which received a special screening by Sony Pictures. His short, The Select Fit, on which the series Chaser is loosely based, was distributed by Lionsgate and was a top 20 finalist in Project Greenlight, handpicked from over 12,000 entries by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, as well as winning multiple other awards. Chaser was inspired by Roemer’s love of Donnie Darko, the series Black Mirror, and the work of Darren Aronofsky and Stanley Kubrick.

Presented by Zero Gravity Media Films, Chaser to on pay-per-view on Prime Video from April 12th.

Nia DaCosta In Talks To Direct A 28 YEARS LATER Film

nia dacosta to direct follow up to 28 days later

Nia DaCosta is in talks to direct a film in the 28 Years Later franchise. The filmmaker, who helmed last year’s The Marvels and the Jordan Peele-produced Candyman, would direct the second film in the new, planned horror trilogy from Sony.

Danny Boyle, the director behind the 2002 original 28 Days Later, which starred Cillian Murphy, is returning to helm the first sequel film from writer Alex Garland, who had also scripted the first feature. Murphy is also set to serve as executive producer on the new project.

28 Days Later followed a man who wakes from a coma after a bicycle accident to find that England is now a desolate, postapocalyptic hellscape, thanks to a virus that turned its victims into raging, zombie-like killers. He must then navigate this new landscape, meeting survivors along the way. Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Megan Burns, and Brendan Gleeson also starred in the original, which fast became a modern classic of the zombie horror genre.

Nia DaCosta is currently on production for upcoming drama Hedda, based on the play Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen. The Amazon MGM feature stars Tessa Thompson in the title role and does not yet have a release date.

Lionsgate And Blumhouse Eyeing New BLAIR WITCH PROJECT Film

the blair witch project 1999 film still

We’re creeping back into the Black Hills for a new Blair Witch Project film, as part of a multi-project deal between the two studios that will have Blumhouse reimagine some of Lionsgate’s horror classics.

Blair Witch Project, which released in 1999, is still considered one of the most profitable films of all time and is known for launching the found-footage movie boom of the early ’00s, of which Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield were tentpoles. The horror was followed up with a 2001 sequel, Book of Shadows, and later a 2016 follow-up directed by Adam Wingard. Roy Lee, who produced the 2016 film, is set to return for this Blumhouse/Lionsgate entry.

Blair Witch Project followed three student filmmakers who hike into the forest near Burkittsville, Maryland, in 1994 to film a documentary about the Blair Witch, a local myth. The three disappear, leaving only their equipment and footage to be discovered a year later. The so-called “found footage” is the movie the viewer sees.

“I have been incredibly fortunate to work with Jason many times over the years. We forged a strong relationship on The Purge when I was at Universal, and we launched STX with his film The Gift. There is no one better at this genre than the team at Blumhouse,” said Adam Fogelson, the Lionsgate film chair. “We are thrilled to kick this partnership off with a new vision for Blair Witch that will reintroduce this horror classic for a new generation.” 

Exclusive: New Trailer for Arrow’s NIGHTSIREN

Arrow Video has unveiled the new trailer for writer and director Tereza Nvotová’s Nightsiren. Following her 2017 debut feature Filthy, this is a spellbinding contemporary drama that expertly blends psychological and supernatural horror to explore the intersections of misogyny and religious zealotry.

Synopsis:

In the wake of a tragic past, Šarlota (Natália Germáni) returns to her mountainous hometown after years of absence. After befriending Mira (Eva Mores), a spirited young herbalist, Šarlota stumbles upon the forgotten tale of an ancient witch and a wild child. Together, they embark on a quest to unearth the village’s buried secrets. But as Šarlota delves deeper into the mysteries, she becomes entangled in a web of ancient legends turned reality. Accused of witchcraft and murder by fearful villagers, she must explore the darkness at the heart of the town to clear her name and confront the shadows of her past.

Tereza Nvotová has created a captivating cinematic experience which has wowed audiences and critics alike on the international festival circuit, including Locarno where it won the Golden Leopard – Filmmakers of the Present award. Beguiling and atmospheric, Nightsiren is a superb effort from one of the most exciting new voices in cinema.

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation

• Original stereo audio and 5.1 surround audio

• Optional English subtitles

• New audio commentary by film critic Kat Ellinger

• Witches and Sisterhood, a brand new video essay on witches and the idea of “sisterhood” as it pertains to both biological bonds and feminist collectivity by film critic and author Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

• Taboo, a brand new video essay exploring the relationship of femininity, the unknown and sexuality in Nightsiren by film critic and festival programmer Justine Smith

• Theatrical trailer

• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Beth Morris

• Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Beth Morris

• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Anton Bitel, Cerise Howard and Alexandra West

Nightsiren is released on Blu-ray by Arrow Video on June 3rd.

Drew Goddard To Helm New MATRIX Film

We’re heading back into The Matrix (if you believe we ever left), though this time it’ll be Drew Goddard helming the project, not the Wachowski sisters. It’ll be the first time that a Matrix film hasn’t involved franchise creators Lana and Lilly Wachowski, though Lana will reportedly act as an executive producer on this latest film.

Plot details are locked tight in the vault, but the studio did reveal that Drew Goddard had approached them with a new idea to extend the film series: “Drew came to Warner Bros. with a new idea that we all believe would be an incredible way to continue the Matrix world, by both honoring what Lana and Lilly began over 25 years ago and offering a unique perspective based on his own love of the series and characters,” said Warner Bros. Motion Pictures president of production Jesse Ehrman. “The entire team at Warner Bros. Discovery is thrilled for Drew to be making his new Matrix film, adding his vision to the cinematic canon the Wachowskis spent a quarter of a century building here at the studio.”

Goddard’s appointment seems like an exciting step forward for The Matrix, after a lacklustre return to screens in 2022 with Matrix: Resurrections. The filmmaker’s credits include The Martian, The Cabin in the Woods (for which he served as both co-writer and director), World War Z, and Bad Times at the El Royale, as well as having written for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Lost. He also created Netflix’s Marvel series Daredevil. On the feature writing side, Goddard penned Cloverfield for director Matt Reeves.

Stay tuned for further details on what to expect from this unexpected new instalment to the Matrix franchise!

SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW Finds Its Director

Craig Gillespie is in talks to direct Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, joining the slate of filmmakers constructing a new era for DC Studios under the guidance of James Gunn and Peter Safran.

Gillespie has a high-profile and varied filmography: most notable are his skating biopic I, Tonya, starring Margot Robbie, the Australian comedy-drama Lars and the Real Girl, the Emma Stone-starring live-action Disney flick Cruella, and most recently, Dumb Money, the biographical comedy that chronicles the GameStop short squeeze of January 2021. In television, Gillespie notably directed and executive produced Pam & Tommy, starring Sebastian Stan and Lily James.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow stars House of the Dragon‘s Milly Alcock, who will play Kara Zor-El, Superman’s cousin. The feature is reportedly inspired by the Tom King and Bilquis Evely comic and will therefore mark a departure from the character audiences may have gotten to know in the CW Supergirl series.

Ana Nogueira penned the script for the project, which does not have a release date. DC Studios is currently in production on Superman, its first feature. Woman of Tomorrow is part of Chapter 1 in Gunn and Safran’s DC slate. Also included in this chapter are the Batman feature The Brave and the Bold helmed by Andy Muschietti and a series starring Viola Davis as her Suicide Squad character Amanda Waller.

Finally, The Trailer For CUCKOO Is Here

cuckoo horror starring hunter schafer drops trailer

Neon has finally released the trailer for Cuckoo, the horror feature from Tilman Singer starring Hunter Schafer.

“Reluctantly, 17-year-old Gretchen (Schafer) leaves her American home to live with her father, who has just moved into a resort in the German Alps with his new family,” reads the synopsis. “Arriving at their future residence, they are greeted by Mr. König (Dan Stevens), her father’s boss, who takes an inexplicable interest in Gretchen’s mute half-sister Alma. Something doesn’t seem right in this tranquil vacation paradise. Gretchen is plagued by strange noises and bloody visions until she discovers a shocking secret that also concerns her own family.”

Also starring in the film are Jessica Henwick, Jan Bluthardt, Marton Csokas, Greta Fernández and Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey. Singer writes and directs the film, which premiered at Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year before screening at South by Southwest.

Schafer is best known for playing Jules Vaughn on HBO’s drama series Euphoria, and later appeared in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. She’ll next be seen in the Yorgos Lanthimos anthology feature Kinds of Kindness. Stevens, meanwhile, can currently be seen in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, and will also star in Universal’s upcoming horror-thriller Abigail from filmmaking team Radio Silence.

Cuckoo releases in cinemas from May 17th in the UK, and from August 9th in the US. Watch the trailer below:

Julia Garner Is The MCU’s Silver Surfer

julia garner cast as silver surfer in mcu fantastic four

The MCU’s upcoming Fantastic Four just keeps stacking its talent, with news that Julia Garner will be playing its Silver Surfer. WandaVision director Matt Shakman is helming the feature, which stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing.

The film has a planned release date of July 25th, 2025, and has been reported to take place in the 1960s, the era in which Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby first introduced the super team that launched the Marvel Universe in comic books. Eric Pearson (Black Widow) is screenwriter on the film.

The Silver Surfer was a character introduced as the herald of Galactus, a planet-eating entity. That version of the Surfer was an alien astronomer also known as Norrin Radd (who was portrayed by Doug Jones in the 2007 Rise Of The Silver Surfer film). Julia Garner is reportedly playing a different version of the surfer, known as Shalla-Bal, who was Norrin Radd’s lover.

Garner is best known as a three-time Emmy winning actress on Ozark. Up next, she’s starring opposite Christopher Abbott in the Universal and Blumhouse werewolf thriller, Wolf Man.

FREAKY FRIDAY 2 Finds Its Director

freaky friday 2 finds director

You may remember we recently reported that Freaky Friday stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan were returning for a sequel to the fan-favourite Disney body-swap comedy… Well, the studio has just tapped Nisha Ganatra to direct, ahead of a planned summer shoot.

Andrew Gunn, who produced the 2003 movie, is producing alongside former Disney executive Kristin Burr. Ann Marie Sanderlin will executive produce. It is still unknown whether the film will receive a cinema release or if it’ll premiere on Disney+. The 2003 film that starred Lohan, Curtis, and Mark Harmon was the third film adaptation of the 1972 novel by Mary Rodgers, following the 1976 film starring Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster, and a 1995 TV movie with Shelly Long and Gaby Hoffmann. Disney Channel also adapted Freaky Friday again since, turning it into a musical in 2018 starring Cozi Zuehlsdorff and Heidi Blickenstaff.

Nisha Ganatra is a Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee for her work as the director of Transparent. She’s directed the comedy The High Note starring Tracee Ellis Ross and Dakota Johnson, as well as the Sundance favourite Late Night, which starred Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling. The filmmaker has also made a splash in television, directing episodes of Dear White People, Mr. Robot, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Last Man on Earth, and more.

WOLF MAN Delays Release To 2025

universal pictures delays release of wolf man to 2025

Try to hold back those sad howls, because Universal Pictures is moving its release date from Wolf Man, the werewolf thriller from Invisible Man’s Leigh Whannell and Blumhouse. Originally scheduled for a pre-Halloween release on October 25th, 2024, the Christopher Abbott-starring horror will now open in cinemas from January 17th, 2025.

Jason Blum produces the film that reinvents the classic Universal monster and co-stars Julia Garner. Plot details are still fairly vague, but the story will reportedly focus on a man whose family is being terrorized by a lethal predator. The 1941 original film told the story of Larry, a man who returned to his Welsh ancestral home from the United States upon learning of his brother’s passing. It’s there that, when he tries to save a rural girl named Jenny from a werewolf attack, he gets bitten by the supernatural creature and starts a life-changing transformation.

Wolf Man isn’t the only Blumhouse film being pushed back by Universal Pictures, however. The studio have announced that The Woman in the Yard, which was slated to release January 10th, 2025, has been taken off the calendar. They’ll announce a new release date at a later time.

The Woman in the Yard is directed by Black Adam filmmaker Jaume Collet-Serra, and stars Till‘s Danielle Deadwyler. The plot is undisclosed, but we do know it’s an original horror with a script from Sam Stefanak.