Pollyanna McIntosh Stars In Upcoming Irish Horror DOUBLE BLIND

Double Blind poster, Irish thriller-horror 2022

Genre queen Pollyanna McIntosh (The Walking Dead franchise, The Woman) and Millie Brady (Roadkill, The Last Kingdom) are leading the cast of Irish horror-thriller Double Blind, Deadline has announced. 

Written by Darach McGarrigle and directed by Ian Hunt-Duffy in what is both of their feature debuts, Double Blind follows seven strangers taking part in a paid drug trial who become trapped in the lab after the side effects of the study escalate the situation into a nightmarish scenario: if they fall asleep, they die.

The cast also features Brenock O’Connor, Abby Fitz, Shonagh Marie, Diarmuid Noyes, Frank Blake, and Akshay Kumar.

In a statement, Hunt-Duffy stated that “as a filmmaker, I am deeply passionate about creating original, suspenseful, and intelligent genre cinema, and I believe that the hook of our story – fall asleep and you die – is so evocative and memorable. It takes something ordinary and innocent and makes it deadly. We have a fantastic ensemble cast led by Millie Brady and horror icon Pollyanna McIntosh, so I cannot wait for audiences to experience the tension, claustrophobia, and dread that we have in store.

Double Blind is currently shooting in Ireland.

Meng’er Zhang And Robbie Amell Join THE WITCHER

Freya Allan as Ciri of Cintra in The Witcher season 2

Netflix has welcomed four new actors to its third season cast of hit fantasy series The Witcher: Robbie Amell (The Babysitter, Upload), Meng’er Zhang (Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings), Hugh Skinner (Mamma Mia Here We Go Again!, Fleabag), and Christelle Elwin (Half Bad).

Zhang is Milva, a human adopted by the dryads of Brokilon Forest. She is a fierce and talented huntress with exact archery skills and a stone-cold aptitude for survival, making her a fierce adversary.

Skinner plays Prince Radovid, King Vizimir’s playboy younger brother. That is, until Radovid finds himself a man on the inside of the Redanian Intelligence. With his looks and often drunken charm, the Prince surprises with how incisive he can be in matters of politics.

Headshots of Hugh Skinner and Meng'er Zhang

Robbie Amell will play Gallatin, a warrior who leads an army of guerrilla Scoia’tael fighting on behalf of Nilfgaard. Gallatin’s loyalty to his people ultimately leads him on a collision course with Francesca (played by Mecia Simson) over power.

Lastly, Elwin plays Mistle, a member of The Rats, a gang of misfit teens who steal from the rich. She is street smart, suspicious of everyone, and out for revenge – until a chance meeting changes everything.

Christelle Elwin and Robbie Amell headshots cast for The Witcher season 3

The four actors join returning cast members Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, Freya Allan, Joey Batey, MyAnna Buring, and more.

In The Witcher’s third season, as monarchs, mages and beasts of the Continent race to capture Ciri of Cintra, she and Geralt go to ground. Yennefer, still entrusted with Ciri’s magical training, leads them to the fortress of Aretuza in hopes of discovering more about the girl’s powers. Instead, they discover they’ve landed in a battlefield of political corruption, dark magic, and treachery.

The new season has begun filming, but no release date has yet been announced. However, the spinoff series The Witcher: Blood Origin will release later this year.

 

Seaside Slasher PUNCH Wraps

punch wraps

Production has wrapped on seaside-set slasher Punch, from director Andy Edwards (Ibiza Undead). The film tells the story of Frankie, who wants to enjoy one last night out in her home town before returning to university – but must fight to stay alive when a mysterious man wearing a Mr Punch mask starts a deadly rampage.

Shot on location in the historic town of Hastings on the south coast of the UK, Punch stars a trio of talented newcomers – Alina Allison, Faye Campbell, and Macaulay Cooper, in the lead roles. Joining them are a host of familiar faces from TV and film including Jamie Lomas (Hollyoaks, EastEnders), Kierston Wareing (Fish Tank, EastEnders) Daniel Fathers (The Witcher: Blood Origin, Atlanta, The Void), and UK horror favourites Sarah Alexandra Marks, Dani Thompson, and Ayvianna Snow.

Mr Punch

Jamie Lomas as Elton

 

Writer and director Andy Edwards tells us, “America has always had the best slasher villains, from Freddie to Jason to Michael Myers and beyond. With Mr Punch, I wanted to create an iconic slasher killer that was uniquely British. Punch is a traditional slasher film, but it also taps into the folk horror vibes of the British seaside and the childhood creepiness of a Punch & Judy show. Shooting on location in Hastings allowed cast and crew to be immersed in that environment and I can’t wait for people to see what we came up with.”

The film was co-produced by Andy for Paranoid Android Films, alongside Rebecca Matthews (The Gardener, Hatched). The cinematography was by Max Williams (Isle of Dogs) and the casting was by Aisling Knight. Thomas R Atherton (100 Streets) was Executive Producer and Airell Anthony Hayles (They’re Outside) was Associate Producer.

More news when we get it.

Alina Alison as Frankie and Faye Campbell as Holly

Daniel Fathers as The Harbinger

Main image: Alina Allison as Frankie and Macaulay Cooper as Daryl.

Photos by: Toby Shaw

Unhinged First Look At David Cronenberg’s CRIMES OF THE FUTURE

Viggo Mortensen as performance artist in sci-fi horror Crimes of the Future by director David Cronenberg

On the back of David Cronenberg’s Crimes Of The Future being announced for this year’s Cannes Film Festival line-up, Neon has released an insane-looking first teaser for the sci-fi film, which promises a return to the iconic filmmaker’s roots in body horror.

Despite sharing the same name as the Cronenberg’s 1970 film, the feature is not a remake; the story is set in the not-too-distant future where humankind has had to adapt to a synthetic environment. This evolution moves humans beyond their natural state and into a metamorphosis, altering their biological makeup through both natural and surgical means. While some embrace the limitless potential of trans-humanism, others attempt to police it. Either way, ‘Accelerated Evolution Syndrome’ is spreading fast.

Still of David Cronenberg's Crimes of the Future horror

One of those publicly embracing AES is beloved performance artist Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen), sprouting new and unexpected organs in his body. With his partner Caprice (Léa Seydoux), Tenser publicly showcases the metamorphosis of his organs and their removal in avant-garde performances.

All the while, Timlin (Kristen Stewart), an investigator from the National Organ Registry, obsessively tracks the pair’s movements – which is when a mysterious group comes to light whose mission is to use Saul’s notoriety to shed light on the next phase of human evolution.

Kristen Stewart as Timlin in David Cronenberg horror Crimes of the Future

In an interview last year, Stewart described the project as being “set in a world where people have evolved to a point where we don’t feel physical pain.” She also reveals further details, explaining that “sex has changed quite a bit, and the new art form is growing organs. Viggo [Mortensen] is a famous performance artist. Léa Seydoux is his partner who tattoos these organs and displays them. My character becomes enamoured with Viggo’s artist.”

This sci-fi body horror marks Cronenberg’s first feature since 2014’s Maps to the Stars.

Crimes of the Future is due to release in June, following a premiere at Cannes. The exact date is yet to be announced.

Rob Zombie’s THE MUNSTERS Welcomes Dee Wallace

Rob Zombie's The Munsters reboot behind the scenes

Rob Zombie’s The Munsters reboot has welcomed E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial star Dee Wallace to its ranks. The veteran actress will be the voice of “Good Morning Transylvania!”, Transylvania’s second favourite morning show, according to the update posted to the filmmaker’s socials.

Wallace is a long-time collaborator of Zombie’s, having previously featured in Halloween, The Haunted World of El Superbeasto, The Lords of Salem, and 3 From Hell. She is also known for having starred in 1977’s The Hills Have Eyes and Cujo. 

She joins a well-stocked cast, including Jeff Daniel Phillips as the Frankenstein’s monster-looking Herman Munster, Sheri Moon Zombie as vampire Lily Munster, Daniel Roebuck as Grandpa Munster (also a vampire), Cassandra Peterson as real-estate agent Barbara Carr, Richard Brake as Dr. Henry Augustus Wolfgang, Sylvester McCoy as Igor, Catherine Schell as Zoya Krupp, and Jorge Garcia as Floop.

A Rob Zombie film The Munsters announcement poster

And for fans worried (or hoping?) that Zombie’s take on The Munsters would feature the filmmaker’s R-rated love of blood and guts, rest assured that the reboot will be entirely family-friendly. Zombie confirmed that “for those of you speculating, wondering and assuming that The Munsters would be dirty, violent and nasty… well, you are wrong, the film is rated PG.”

The Munsters is planned to be released simultaneously in cinemas and via streaming on Peacock. Though a release date has yet to be announced, stay tuned – you don’t want to miss your one (and likely only) chance to take a child to a Rob Zombie movie.

GHOST OF TSUSHIMA Film Adaptation Finds Its Writer

Ghost of Tsushima video game poster

Takashi Doscher (Still, Only) will write the screenplay for the film adaptation of the ultra-popular action adventure game Ghost of Tsushima, set at Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions, writes Deadline.

Set in 1274 during the first Mongol invasion of Japan, the game follows the violent invasion of the island of Tsushima by the conquering Empire. The story centres on Jin Sakai, the head and last surviving member of his clan, and a samurai warrior; but in order to secure Tsushima’s freedom, he must set aside the traditions that have shaped him as a samurai and forge a new way of fighting – the way of the Ghost.

John Wick filmmaker Chad Stahelski has been attached to direct since March 2021, when the adaptation was first announced.

Ghost of Tsushima is the second film to emerge from Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions’ partnership, following the Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg-starring Uncharted. PlayStation is also developing two series in their separate deal with Sony Pictures Television, namely the much-anticipated The Last of Us for HBO and the action comedy Twisted Metal starring Anthony Mackie.

 

 

Indian Star Ram Charan Has Blockbuster Breakthrough with RRR

ram charan

Fans of big-screen action blockbusters have a new hero. Ram Charan is one of the most popular Indian movie stars working today, having been in the business for some 15 years. However, after his latest eye-popping blockbuster RRR become such a success in the UK, many local fans are discovering his work. The film recently opened and debuted at no. 2 at the UK and Ireland box office (second only to The Batman) and earned rave reviews as well.

Set in British colonial India in the 1920s, the story follows two revolutionaries (played by Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao, Jr) and the fictional events which pre-date the two men fighting for their country. Boasting amazing action, fight scenes, chases and stunts, it’s become a must-see hit on the big screen. Alongside the UK’s financial success of RRR, it has so far grossed over $132 million globally, making it the ninth highest-grossing film of 2022 and setting several other box office records for an Indian film. As one of the film’s lead stars, it continues Ram Charan’s trend as one of the most popular and iconic Indian actors.

Luckily, fans don’t need to wait long because he has other films on the way. Charan will next collaborate with acclaimed director Gowtam Tinnanuri for a brand new ‘multi-million dollar’ feature film with the production company, UV Creations, so we hope for more announcements on that soon. Charan is also shooting a film by legendary Indian director S. Shankar. Speaking of The Batman, superhero movies and Ram Charan in the same sentence, when audiences see him in RRR, you’ll know we have another kind of action hero on our hands! Take a look at the trailer below.

RRR (Rise Roar Revolt) is still showing in UK cinemas.

THE ADAM PROJECT’s Walker Scobell Is Percy Jackson

The Adam Project star Walker Scobell Has Been Cast as Percy Jackson in Disney+ Series

After an an endearing comedic turn as young Ryan Reynolds in Netflix’s The Adam Project, Walker Scobell has been tapped to star as demigod Percy Jackson in the new Disney+ series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

The series is the second attempt to adapt Rick Riordan’s best-selling novels, following two feature films starring Logan Lerman as the titular hero. Those adaptations were poorly received and criticised in part for making significant changes to the novels, though the Disney+ series promises to go back to the text by casting an age-appropriate Percy.

Walker Scobell to play Percy Jackson

Announcing the casting news on his website, author Riordan – who executive produces the series and co-wrote the pilot – writes: “Walker Scobell is an incredibly talented young man who blew us away with his audition tapes for the role of Percy. Many of you recently discovered how great Walker is when you watched his movie The Adam Project, in which Walker lit up the screen as a younger version of Ryan Reynolds’ character. We were fortunate enough to audition Walker months before that movie came out, but the film only confirmed what we already knew about his talent. It was obvious to me and the rest of the team that Walker had the perfect mix of comedic timing, sweetness, rebelliousness, snark and heroism to embody our hero Percy Jackson.”

The books tell the story of Percy, a 12-year-old modern demigod who is coming to terms with his newfound, inexplicable abilities. When he is accused by Zeus of stealing his master lightning bolt, Percy must trek across the US to find the real thief and return the stolen item to Olympus.

Production on the Percy Jackson And The Olympians series is set to begin this summer.

Ryan Coogler And More Board Marvel’s IRONHEART

Ironheart comics centring Riri Williams

A lot is happening over at Ironheart headquarters, the Marvel-Disney+ series featuring the titular, Iron Man-adjacent character.

Just as Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Creed, Wakanda Forever) and his production banner, Proximity Media, have joined the creative team on the series, news also comes that Sam Bailey (Dear White People) and Angela Barnes (Teenage Bounty Hunters) have been tapped to direct. Bailey will direct episodes one through three, while Barnes will helm episodes four through six.

Dominique Thorne (If Beale Street Could Talk, Judas and the Black Messiah) is headlining the series as Riri Williams, a brilliant teenage inventor who (in the comics at least) builds her own version of the Iron Man suit in her MIT dorm room. Since the character’s introduction in 2016, certain points in the comics have even seen Williams take over for Tony Stark as Iron Man – given that the latter died in Endgame, Ironheart could be introducing Stark’s replacement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The series also stars Anthony Ramos (In The Heights) and Lyric Ross (This Is Us), with Chinaka Hodge (Snowpiercer series) serving as head writer.

Williams is set to debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever later this year, before appearing in Ironheart. 

 

 

Margot Robbie-Starring BARBIE Adds More To Cast

Will Ferrell tapped for Barbie, still from Zoolander role

Life in plastic is fantastic for Will Ferrell and Sex Education’s Emma Mackey, who are the latest stars to join Margot Robbie in the Greta Gerwig-directed Barbie at Warner Bros.

Also on the call sheet are Ryan Gosling as the ascot-wearing Ken, Shang-Chi‘s Simu Liu, SNL star Kate McKinnon (Ghostbusters), Alexandra Shipp (tick, tick… BOOM!, X-Men: Dark Phoenix), and America Ferrera (Superstore, the How To Train Your Dragon franchise). Production on the project, which is co-written by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, is already underway.

Sources report that Will Ferrell will be playing the CEO of a toy company – whether or not it might be Mattel, the toy company behind Barbie’s invention, remains a mystery. Nothing is known about Mackey’s role in the feature, but the young actress has previously been dubbed Robbie’s doppelganger, so could she also be portraying a take on the Barbie doll?

Though very little has been confirmed about the plot in the upcoming film, Barbie’s IMDb page sets the story as so: “A doll living in ‘Barbieland’ is expelled for not being perfect enough and sets off on an adventure in the real world.” It suggests a meta take on the toy line, though it also sounds like the plot to 2008’s The House Bunny starring Anna Faris.

But hey, it’s all speculation for now! Stay tuned for the facts as we get them.