All-Star Line-up for Horror Channel in March

sentinel-horror

There is plenty of terror to look forward to in March as Horror Channel screens some ghoulish treats.

Network Premieres include Michael Winner’s much-maligned The Sentinel (1977), the misguided 2006 remake of the classic pagan nightmare The Wicker Man. Starring Nicholas Cage, it’s not a patch on the original, but some might get a buzz from it (“Not the bees!”), Cage is also in Season of the Witch (2011), starring opposite original Wicker Man bad guy Christopher Lee. Teen slasher Cherry Falls (2000) debuts on the channel as well as creepy sequel The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia (2013).

Also screening for the first time on UK TV is Greg Keifer’s bloodsucking alien thriller Thirst (2015), and fans of scary sci-fi can enjoy DeepStar Six (1999) and Skyline (2010) and Keanu Reeves is a serial killer staying one step ahead of detective James Spader in The Watcher (2000)

For full details and listings, head over to the Horror Channel website. You can tune in on Sky 319, Virgin 149, Freesat 138, Freeview 70.

THE DARK TOWER TV Series Lands on Amazon

The Dark Tower

Since the big-screen take on The Dark Tower got a so-so at best reaction, we’ve heard very little on the planned Dark Tower TV series. Well now, that show has found itself a home.

As per Deadline, the series has been picked up by Amazon. Absolutely zero further details are known on the specifics of the deal or on cast and crew just yet, but the originally plan was for The Walking Dead’s Glen Mazzara to serve as showrunner as the series worked as an extension of the Dark Tower movie.

Whether Mazzara is still on board or whether the plans it still to tie things to the film, we’ll have to wait and see. For now, at least we know that the show is indeed still happening, and that it will air on Amazon Video.

Of course, expect more on all things The Dark Tower as we get it.

Johannes Roberts Details 47 METERS DOWN Sequel Plans

47 Meters Down

In the past few years, we’ve seen an impressive amount of *shock horror* good shark movies. Following decades of dross such as Jersey Shore Shark Attack and 2-Headed Shark Attack, we’ve had films like The Shallows, The Reef, Cage Dive, Bait, and, of course, 47 Meters Down showing that this oft-mocked subgenre still has some bite. And now, 47 Meters Down director Johannes Roberts has been talking about his plans for a sequel.

Speaking to Bloody-Disgusting, Roberts enthused, “If I had to pitch it in a very simple way, I would describe it as The Descent underwater. So it will be six or seven people trapped in the caves of Brazil, an underwater city.”

All that we’ve previously known about this follow-up is that it will be called 48 Meters Down, and Roberts went on to discuss that title. “Ha! Yeah, one meter more terrifying,” he joked before going on to add, “It all be cave diving, which is the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done. I trained to do cave diving while I was shooting 47 in the Dominican Republic. It’s beyond terrifying so it just seemed like a really great idea to make the sequel. Myself and the line producer would go on the weekend. I’m sure we weren’t allowed to go for insurance because it’s the most dangerous thing in the world, and we would go and dive in these great cave systems. It was just like, ‘Yeah, this has to be a movie.’”

At present, Roberts’ next movie to hit the big screen is the hotly anticipated The Strangers: Prey at Night – which is released March 9th. Before he gets to work on 48 Meters Down, he’ll be tackle another horror effort, Thirteen O’Clock, which he’s described as “It’s all set during Day of the Dead and it involves coffins and being buried alive.”

With pictures such as The Other Side of the Door and 47 Meters Down, Johannes Roberts has marked himself out as a genre director to keep your eye on. As such, we’re certainly looking forward to The Stranger: Prey at Night, Thirteen O’Clock, and 48 Meters Down.

Jeremy Ray Taylor Joins GOOSEBUMPS 2

Jeremy Ray Taylor

With Goosebumps 2 currently booked in for an October release, the sequel has brought in some new additions as it gets ready to head in to production.

As per Variety, Jeremy Ray Taylor has joined the follow-up. Taylor, of course, is best known for playing Ben in last year’s IT. Joining him in the Goosebumps sequel are fellow new additions in Castle Rock’s Caleel Harris and Manchester by the Sea’s Ben O’Brien.

At this stage, it’s still not confirmed whether Jack Black will actually be returning for Goosebumps 2, although the last we’d heard it looked likely that he would indeed be back to play R.L. Stine. The Duff’s Ari Sandel takes over the director’s chair from Rob Letterman this time out, although right now it looks as if this year’s October release date is likely to get pushed back.

Expect more on Goosebumps 2 as it continues to develop.

BLAIR WITCH TV Series in Development

Blair Witch

Had enough of the whole Blair Witch thing, or are you craving more from this famed franchise? If you’re in the latter group, you could be in luck.

As reported by Deadline, Lionsgate is developing a series based around 1999’s iconic The Blair Witch Project. No further details are known about the project whatsoever at the moment, although this series seems to being developed under Lionsgate’s Studio L banner which largely focusses on digital content.

The first Blair Witch picture, of course, was hugely well received upon its initial release. A found-footage feature, the tale centred on three film students who get in way, way over their head when shooting a documentary on a local legend. Two sequels would follow, most recently Adam Wingard’s sadly awful 2017 Blair Witch effort.

As ever, expect more on this new series as we get it.

Joss Whedon Departs BATGIRL

Batgirl

Well, that’s a kicker. Yes, as the headline suggests, Joss Whedon is no longer a part of Warner Brothers’ upcoming Batgirl movie.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news, with Whedon having been developing the picture since last year. In addition to writing the film, he was also going to be directing.

In a statement, Whedon explained, “Batgirl is such an exciting project, and Warners/DC such collaborative and supportive partners, that it took me months to realise I really didn’t have a story. I’m grateful to Geoff and Toby and everyone who was so welcoming when I arrived, and so understanding when I… uh, is there a sexier word for ‘failed’?

The Geoff and Toby he’s talking about are producers Geoff Johns and Toby Emmerich.

For Batgirl, the movie is set to be part of Warners’ DC Extended Universe and is just one of a whole host of films all planned for the shared DCEU.

In addition to James Wan’s Aquaman swimming to the silver screen this December, there’s David F. Sandberg’s Shazam! set for April 2019, Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 2 booked for November 2019, the Ray Fisher-headlined Cyborg for April 2020, a believed July 2020 date for Green Lantern Corps, and then plans for the Scarlet Speedster-centric Flashpoint, the Dwayne Johnson-starring Black Adam, Gavin O’Connor’s Suicide Squad 2, Chris McKay’s Nightwing, David Ayer’s Gotham City Sirens, a Harley Quinn picture for Margot Robbie, a joint outing for Harleen and the Joker, a Deathstroke movie, the long-gestating big-screen outing for the Justice League Dark team, a Birds of Prey-driven effort, a Deadshot picture, a Justice League follow-up, a Man of Steel sequel, a silver screen adventure for Lobo, and then, of course, Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which may or may not see Ben Affleck back in the cape and cowl. Oh, and then there’s Todd Phillips and Martin Scorsese’s Joker origin movie that’s being developed separately to the DCEU and currently has Joaquin Phoenix as the favourite to nab the Clown Prince of Crime gig.

So yeah, there’s a lot still planned for the DCEU – including Batgirl – but the poor response to Justice League has yet again thrown a whole bunch of questions at this shared cinematic realm.

As ever, expect more on Batgirl and the greater DCEU as things continue to develop.

Check Out the Latest OWLMAN Prank Video

owlman prank

Fancy a laugh? Then check out the latest prank video from the team who brought us the brilliant Lord of Tears and The Unkindness of Ravens. Ahead of appearing in his second film, enjoy the scare antics of The Owlman!

From the press release:

You might remember The Owlman from a series of pranks set in a creepy abandoned hospital that went viral last year. Now, the feathered fiend continues his reign of terror in an epic new prank. Watch as visitors to a church in Fife, Scotland get the fright of their lives when the Owlman drops in, backed up by a terrifying throng of masked cultists!

This is undoubtedly the team’s most ambitious, and outrageous prank yet, with a finale so absurd and hilarious that it truly has to be seen to be believed.

Created by Scotland’s Hex Studios, The Owlman is the star of two feature films – cult favourite Lord Of Tears and upcoming chiller The Owlman: Chapter Two.

The Owlman: Chapter Two, due for release later this month, sees The Owlman reprise his role as a nightmarish entity bent on creating chaos and suffering for all who cross his diabolical path. Shot in a haunted mansion in the Highlands of Scotland, the film is a classic spine-tingler, starring horror icons Macarena Gómez (Dagon, Shrew’s Nest) and Nicholas Vince (Hellraiser, Nightbreed).

According to Hex Studios Director/Producer Lawrie Brewster “Our YouTube channel is a really great way for us to connect with and build our audience. The Owlman pranks have proven to be especially popular, and of course they’re tons of fun to make, but we’re also producing creepypasta videos, mini-documentaries and all kinds of content that broaden the world of our films, and let fans reach out and interact with us and our creations.”

Jesse Quick Heading to LEGENDS OF TOMORROW

Jesse Quick

Speedsters, eh? Like buses, you wait an age for one then…

Yes, as the headline suggest, Jesse Quick is heading to DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. This comes, of course, fresh off the news that Wally West/Kid Flash is to join the Legends team later in the show’s current third season.

As per EW, Violett Beane’s Jesse is going to pop up in the fifteenth episode of said Season 3, although the details around her appearance are being kept under wraps right now. Previously, Jesse was in a relationship with Keiynan Lonsdale’s Wally, so there’s sure to be an interesting dynamic when these speedsters once more meet up. After all, the break up of his relationship with Jesse caused Wally West to speed off on out of Central City as he sought to explore the world and clear his head.

For now, it appears that the appearance of Jesse Quick will be a one-and-done affair in Legends of Tomorrow, whereas Kid Flash is expected to stick around for the rest of Season 3 and possibly even beyond that.

The second half of Legends’ third season returns to Sky1 on February 28th here in the UK.

Walton Goggins to Headline L.A. CONFIDENTIAL TV Series

Walton Goggins

One of the greatest crime thrillers of the past several decades is hands-down Curtis Hanson’s 1997 adaptation of James Ellroy’s L.A. Confidential. And now, not only is a TV take on the tale in development, but Walton Goggins has been confirmed to headline the show.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, the Justified and The Hateful Eight actor – who will soon be seen back on the big screen in the Tomb Raider reboot and Ant-Man and the Wasp – will play the role of Detective Jack Vincennes in the series. That role, of course, was famously played by Kevin Spacey in the ’97 movie. Here, the character is described as “all swagger and flash with a movie-star smile. He knows how the system works and uses it to his best advantage, including some corrupt shakedowns on the side.”

For those not familiar with L.A. Confidential, the tale is set in a 1950s Los Angeles landscape full of glamour, grime, and murder. Twists and turns aplenty unravel as the story progresses, but we’re not even going to think about spoiling any of them for you here. Safe to say, Ellroy’s novel is a masterpiece, and so too is Hanson’s movie.

CBS is tackling the reboot, with Anne Fricke serving as showrunner/executive producer.

As ever, expect more on this L.A. Confidential series as it continues to develop.

THE MUPPETS Being Rebooted for Disney’s New Streaming Service

The Muppets

With Disney currently working on launching their own on-demand streaming service, it looks as if a new Muppets series is on the way.

Back in 2016, a fresh series for The Muppets ultimately bombed on ABC, with many feeling that the show didn’t quite click with its audience in the same way as its plentiful predecessors. Now, The Hollywood Reporter has word that the current plan is for The Muppets to be given a new show as part of Disney’s upcoming streaming service.

Said service isn’t due to go live until late 2019, but the anticipation amongst many is that the House of Mouse’s streaming service could be a gamechanger and prove to be genuine competition for Netflix and Amazon. While The Muppets being a part of this on-demand service is a sign that the House of Mouse is going ‘all in’ on this new venture, there’s also a new Star Wars series, a new live-action Marvel series, and a Monsters Inc. series all in development for the service. Added to that, Disney will also be exclusively handling their vast back catalogue of movies – be they classic animated efforts, Disney/Pixar efforts, Star Wars outings, or even the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Back to The Muppets, and this new show is in the extremely early stages of development, with a writer or writing team yet to be found. We’ll bring you more on all of this as it continues to develop, though.