Horror Anthology Looking for Your Creepypasta Films!

creepypasta

Vestra pictures Producer Tony Newton and Trash Arts Producer Sam Mason Bell have both been featured in our Independents Day column in the magazine, and now they want YOUR creepypasta short film for an upcoming anthology!

We’re looking for 10 of the scariest, most inventive and mind-blowing short films to delve into the nightmare world of creepypasta – user created horror tales, myths and legends which have dominated the web with terrifying boogeymen, mysterious sightings and unexplained phenomena – copied, pasted and shared around the globe, blurring lines between reality and fiction, creating one of the fastest-growing forms of storytelling in the past decade.

Any filmmaker can participate for a chance to see their short film included in this anthology – just by following the guidelines listed below and submitting their work no later than October 31st, 2018.

Also, because creepypasta stories themselves spread fast, the anthology will be available as soon as possible too: the 10 winning films will premiere On Demand, in real-time, as a feature anthology in late December 2018.

The rules for submission are:

  • Qualifying films must be between 5 and 7 minutes in length.
  • You must c re ate your own original story and characters. As much as we love to read about viral icons like Slenderman, Jeff the Killer and the Russian Sleep Experiment, we’re looking for new and original tales of terror – not retellings of old material. Use your imagination and give the world new, original nightmares of your own creation!
  • All music and video used in your film must be free from copyright – unless you have received written permission from the rights holders.
  • Go for horror-centric themes only – no comedy or parody films.
  • Do not include title cards or end credits – instead, include a text version in email form with your submission. We will include these credits in the film’s end-title sequence.
  • No real – life act s of violence or other crimes (including animal cruelty) can be shown. We are creating a fictional world of horror to frighten and entertain – not making a snuff film!

Send your submissions to [email protected] via WeTransfer.com or Vimeo.com. You can also email Tony at the same address if you have any questions about the contest.

Best of luck to you… now go out there and prepare to shock the web!

creepypasta

Alec Baldwin to Play Trump-Esque Thomas Wayne in JOKER

Alec Baldwin Thomas Wayne Joker

With Todd Phillips’ Joaquin Phoenix-starring Joker movie set to start filming in just a matter of weeks, now comes word on a big-name addition for the film.

Via The Hollywood Reporter, the film – currently titled simply Joker – has brought in Alec Baldwin to play Thomas Wayne. Thomas Wayne, of course, is the father of a certain Caped Crusader.

Interestingly, the outlet reports that we won’t be seeing the Thomas Wayne that comic book fans have grown up with. Instead of being a well-meaning philanthropist who simply wanted to help the people of Gotham City, we’ll be getting “a cheesy and tanned businessman who is more in the mold of a 1980s Donald Trump.” Yes, you read that right…

To be fair, Baldwin has actually spoofed Trump plentiful times on Saturday Night Live, but still, is that really the sort of depiction of Thomas Wayne that fans are clamouring to see?

Joker is to be set in the ‘80s and will exist separately to the DC Extended Universe. The picture will be the first of Warner Brothers’ new DC Dark/DC Black banner that will look to feature more adult-orientated content.

In addition to Phoenix on headlining duties, Joker has already lined up Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, and Marc Maron for supporting roles. Longtime De Niro collaborator Martin Scorsese is on producing duties, with the film currently being pegged as a mixture of two classic Scorsese efforts – Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy.

At present, Joker is booked in for an October 4th, 2019 release.

New Promo Art Showcases CAPTAIN MARVEL

Captain Marvel

With Carol Danvers all set to swoop in and save the day for the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the post-Infinity War fallout, we’ve now been given a look at the first official promo art for Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel.

Courtesy of Vital Thrills and Insight Editions, this glimpse at some upcoming Captain Marvel-driven notebooks has given us our first official look at Larson fully suited ‘n’ booted as Captain Marvel:

Captain Marvel Captain Marvel

To be directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, Captain Marvel heads to the big screen next March, with the official blurb on that film reading:

Captain Marvel follows Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes with Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, the film is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In that ‘90s-set movie, Larson’s Danvers will be joined by Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, and Samuel L. Jackson as a digitally de-aged, two-eyed Nick Fury.

Following Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers will then have a huge role to play in May 2019’s Avengers: Infinity War follow-up.

Ryan Hurst Joins THE WALKING DEAD

Ryan Hurst The Walking Dead Beta

Hot off the heels of adding Castle Rock’s Cassady McClincy to its cast, AMC’s The Walking Dead has added another huge genre favourite to its ranks.

Courtesy of The Wrap, the series has brought in Sons of Anarchy and Bates Motel’s Ryan Hurst to play the recurring role of Beta. For those familiar with the comic book Walking Dead, you’ll know that character is a key one as the show starts to bring the Whisperers into the fold.

In the Whisperers group, Beta is the right-hand man to the leader of that crew; that leader being Samantha Morton’s Alpha. Expect Rick Grimes and Co. to be butting heads with the eerie Whisperers as The Walking Dead’s upcoming ninth season plays out.

The Walking Dead will return to screens October 7th.

Cassady McClincy Lands Key WALKING DEAD Role

The Walking Dead Cassady McClincy Lydia

Ahead of The Walking Dead’s return in a little over a month, the genre juggernaut has moved to cast a key role pulled directly from the comic books.

Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, Cassady McClincy – currently being seen on Hulu’s must-see Castle Rock – has landed the role of Lydia. In the comic book realm, that character ends up in involved in a forbidden romance of sorts with Carl. Lydia is actually a part of the eerie Whisperers group – a group that will be debuting in the show’s upcoming ninth season – and this budding romance causes quite the friction amongst her group and the Rick Grimes-led pack.

Of course, AMC’s The Walking Dead has a Carl-shaped hole these days, so it remains to be seen just how the show will handle Lydia. We already know that Samantha Morton is on board to play Alpha, the leader of the Whisperers and the mother of Lydia, but that’s about it on that front.

The Walking Dead’s ninth season will premiere on October 7th.

GUARDIANS VOL. 3 Indefinitely Delayed

Guardians of the Galaxy

In news that will likely comes as no surprise, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has been indefinitely delayed.

Following the firing of director James Gunn, Guardians 3’s future was always a little up in the air for now, and now Marvel Studios and Disney are said to be regrouping as they’ve removed the picture from its May 2020 release date.

If you remember, this all came about after some of Gunn’s Twitter posts from 2012 and beyond resurfaced. Some saw the posts as being poorly thought-out humour, others saw it as bad taste, and others thought they were utterly disgraceful. Regardless of your thoughts on the matter, when the content includes topics such as rape and paedophilia, you can’t help but feel that Disney were over a barrel a tad when it came to firing Gunn from Guardians 3. But then again, Disney has its own questionable history, too.

At the end of the day, James Gunn is now no longer a part of this third Guardians film, and the House of Mouse has reiterated how they won’t be bringing him back, regardless of what the fans and the cast say. On that front, Dave Bautista – Guardians’ Drax – has been extremely vocal with his anger at how Disney has handled the situation, and the core cast themselves are said to have held meetings where they all agree that they want Gunn back in the director’s chair; to the extent that they sent a signed letter asking for Disney to rehire him.

Not only was Gunn tasked with helming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but he was also going to be overseeing the whole Marvel Cosmic Universe as Marvel Studios and Disney looked to expand upon their tales in the stars.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the production on Guardians 3 has now been shut down indefinitely and talent have been released to find other work in the meantime. Pre-production was underway, with the movie to start shooting early next year.

One mild rumbling out there is that Thor: Ragnarok’s Taika Waititi could be a candidate to replace James Gunn on Guardians 3, and to be fair, that could be an inspired choice – particularly with Ragnarok being the most tonally similar MCU movie to the first two Guardians of the Galaxy pictures.

As ever, expect more on all of this as it continues to develop.

STAR WARS EPISODE IX Adds LOST Alum

Though July’s official press release issued for STAR WARS EPISODE IX revealed new additions to the cast such as Richard E. Grant (seek out his video tweet confirming his involvement, it’s adorable!), Felicity’s Keri Russell, and Naomi Ackie (Doctor Who), it appears that there are still surprising faces being added to the cast even now.

Re-joining J.J. Abrams for the first time since he helmed the pilot of his ground-breaking mystery series LOST, Dominic Monaghan (the charming junkie Charlie Pace) has now been cast in an unknown role. Our gut instinct says the former hobbit will be putting his British accent to good use as a member of The First Order, but at the moment, like the sequel’s plot itself, it’s anybody’s guess!

Though we have another 16 months until release, Star Wars fans have plenty to look forward to, with the new animated series Star Wars Resistance dropping October 7th, and the recently unveiled return on The Clone Wars launching on the upcoming Disney streaming service next year. There’s also Jon Favreau’s 10-episode, $100m budgeted, (possibly) Mandalore-set live-action TV show gearing up (though that might be a 2020 premiere admittedly), and more canonical novels and comic books than any of us could possibly afford to keep up with! It’s a great time to be a Star Wars fan!

Original Press Release:

Star Wars: Episode IX will begin filming at London’s Pinewood Studios on August 1, 2018. J.J. Abrams returns to direct the final installment of the Skywalker saga. Abrams co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Terrio.

Returning cast members include Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd. Joining the cast of Episode IX are Naomi Ackie, Richard E. Grant, and Keri Russell, who will be joined by veteran Star Wars actors Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams, who will reprise his role as Lando Calrissian.

The role of Leia Organa will once again be played by Carrie Fisher, using previously unreleased footage shot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. “We desperately loved Carrie Fisher,” says Abrams. “Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character. With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carrie’s legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII.”

Composer John Williams, who has scored every chapter in the Star Wars saga since 1977’s A New Hope, will return to a galaxy far, far away with Episode IX.

Star Wars: Episode IX will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Michelle Rejwan, and executive produced by Callum Greene and Jason McGatlin. The crew includes Dan Mindel (Director of Photography), Rick Carter and Kevin Jenkins (Co-Production Designers), Michael Kaplan (Costume Designer), Neal Scanlan (Creature and Droid FX), Maryann Brandon and Stefan Grube (Editors), Roger Guyett (VFX Supervisor), Tommy Gormley (1st AD), and Victoria Mahoney (2nd Unit Director).

STAR WARS: EPISODE IX opens December 2019.

Apple Commits to Asimov’s FOUNDATION

Foundation

Apple continue to gear up to compete with existing streaming giants Netflix and Prime, with the announcement of yet another show now in production – better still, unlike Carpool bloody Karaoke, this is right up STARBURST’s street! An adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s wildly ambitious sci-fi novel Foundation has now been granted a full series order of 10-episodes, skipping the traditional pilot process entirely. For those unfamiliar with the initial premise of the space saga, read on for the book’s synopsis:

The Galactic Empire has prospered for twelve thousand years. Nobody suspects that the heart of the thriving Empire is rotten, until psychohistorian Hari Seldon uses his new science to foresee its terrible fate. Exiled to the desolate planet Terminus, Seldon establishes a colony of the greatest minds in the Empire, a Foundation which holds the key to changing the fate of the galaxy. However, the death throes of the Empire breed hostile new enemies, and the young Foundation’s fate will be threatened first.

Given the expanse of Foundation’s story (Asimov compiled the first book in 1951, and continued it with a further 7 over the years), we’d expect this Season 1 to be very much the beginning of something that will be with us for a long time to come. Well, if anybody tunes in of course.

Tasked with making sure the people do watch are genre mainstays David S. Goyer (Batman Begins) and Josh Friedman (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), with Skydance Television (their movie division are responsible for recent smash Mission: Impossible – Fallout) on producing duties. Asimov’s daughter Robyn will also serve in an executive producer role.

Foundation joins the Amazing Stories reboot, the future-set See from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, and untitled genre shows from both M. Night Shyamalan (The Happening) and Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica) currently in development for Apple’s streaming service. If you were struggling keeping up with your favourite content now, we all better best brace ourselves for 2019 and beyond!

As always, we’ll have more on Foundation as it builds…

Source: Deadline

First Look at the Soskas’ RABID Remake

Laura Vandervoort Rabid

Here at Moonbase Alpha, one of the upcoming projects were most excited about right now is the Soska Sisters’ take on David Cronenberg’s iconic 1977 effort, Rabid. And now, we’ve been given our first look at Laura Vandervoort as the film’s lead, Rose.

Be sure to click on the below image for a closer look:

Laura Vandervoort Rabid

Seriously, what’s there not for horror hounds to look forward to with this film. Granted, the idea and notion of remakes can sometimes be a turn-off for some people, but Jen and Sylvia Soska are two people who we’d trust with any every redo out there. These Twisted Twins are not only huge, huge horror fans themselves, they’ve also wowed so many with efforts such as American Mary, See No Evil 2, Vendetta, and their grin-inducing Twinpool. Then there’s the horror heavy Hellevator game show that we’re sadly yet to see here in the UK, but that has all kinds of praise and buzz around it.

With Smallville and Jigsaw’s Vandervoort on headlining duties, the film will focus on her Rose as she begins to go through some alarming changes following plastic surgery to help her to recover from an accident that left her disfigured.

Joining the ever-charming Vandervoort in Rabid are the likes of Hanneke Talbot, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Mackenzie Gray, Ted Atherton, Tara Yelland, Joel Labelle, former WWE stars CM Punk and his real-life wife AJ Mendez/AJ Lee, and another huge genre fave, the always-brilliant Tristan Risk.

Rabid has yet to be given a set release date, but this is one to certainly be keeping your eye on.

This Year’s Arrowverse Crossover to Feature Superman and Lois Lane

Tyler Hoechlin Superman Lois Lane

With Batwoman confirmed to be making her CW debut in this December’s annual Arrowverse crossover event, now comes word that the all-encompassing arc will also be heading up, up, and away.

Yes, as confirmed by The CW themselves, Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman will be a part of this crossover. While the cinematic incarnation of the Man of Steel has certainly had his issues over the past decade or more, Hoechlin’s Big Blue Boy Scout has wowed during his appearances in the Melissa Benoist-headlined Supergirl. But not only that, for Supes won’t be alone.

During this hotly anticipated crossover event, Superman will actually be joined by Lois Lane. At this stage, there’s no word on who’ll be playing Lois when the character turns up in the Arrowverse, although many are already chomping at the bit to see one of comic books’ most legendary couples appear together. Of course, this won’t be the first time that Lois has appeared in live-action, with Phyllis Coates playing the character opposite George Reeves in the classic Adventures of Superman, before she was replaced by Noel Neill from the second season onwards. Nell would also play the role in the Superman serials of the late-1940s and ‘50s. Margot Kidder would famously play Lois in the Christopher Reeve-headlined Superman pictures, and then Teri Hatcher picked up the role for the ‘90s Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. The last TV take on the character saw Erica Durance playing Lois Lane in The CW’s Smallville, and the most recent incarnation, period, has been Amy Adams as the DC Extended Universe’s Lois.

As mentioned, this year’s crossover will actually also introduce Kate Kane, aka Batwoman, into this shared realm before that character is given her own CW series. Orange is the New Back’s Ruby Rose is tasked with playing Batwoman, and that in itself is enough to get us all kinds of excited for this crossover and what lies ahead for the future of the Arrowverse.

It was only this past week that The CW confirmed this year’s crossover to start on Sunday, December 9th with The Flash. Arrow will then continue that story on the very next night, with the tale concluding with Tuesday, December 11th’s Supergirl episode. For this year, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow is actually missing out on the annual crossover in terms of an actual episode – although the Legends themselves are expected to still have a part to play in this arc.