News

The Shrouds: "In an eerie, deceptively placid near-future, a techno-entrepreneur named Karsh (Cassel) has developed a new software that will allow the bereaved to bear witness to the gradual decay of loved ones dead and buried in the earth. While Karsh is still reeling from the loss of his wife (Kruger) from cancer—and falling into a peculiar sexual relationship with his wife’s sister (also Kruger)—a spate of vandalized graves utilizing his “shroud” technology begins to put his enterprise at risk, leading him to uncover a potentially vast conspiracy. Written following the death of the director’s wife, the new film from David Cronenberg is both a profoundly personal reckoning with grief and a descent into noir-tinged dystopia, set in an ominous world of self-driving cars, data theft, and A.I. personal assistants. Offering Cronenberg’s customary balance of malevolence and wit, The Shrouds is a sly...

AMC Networks’ genre streaming platform Shudder has acquiredNorth American, UK-Ireland and Australia-New Zealand rights tosupernatural horror 825 Forest Road from the UK’s Blue Finch Films ahead of the EFM.

Stephen Cognetti, the US creator of the cult hit found footage Hell House LLC franchise, directs the film about a man whohopes to start a new life with his wife and sister after a family tragedy, but discovers the town he has moved to has its own problems.

Joe Bandelli produces alongside Dana Guerin and Cindi Rice on behalf of Los Angeles-based Epic Level Entertainment, through which John Frank Rosenblum also serves as executive producer.

Richard J. Bosner has been a producer on several films over the years, including Fruitvale Station, Black Bear, and Paint, and now he has made his feature directorial debut with the horror film Devoted, based on a short film called Devotee, which he made last year. Variety reports that Bosner assembled a strong cast for the film, including Mena Suvari (American Beauty), Skeet Ulrich (Scream), Elizabeth Marvel (Helstrom), Lin Shaye (Insidious), Alicia Sanz (From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series), and Nick Stahl (Carnivale).

Now making its way through post-production, Devoted is produced by Bosner, along with Robert Ogden Barnum, Eric Binns, and Carissa Knol. Danny Chan, Dana Guerin, John Frank Rosenblum, Matt Rhodes, Tyler Transki, Michael Sklut, and Sam Maydew serve as executive producers.

The story centers on a woman (Suvari), who takes guardianship of her estranged sister (Marvel), the only survivor of a recent mass cult suicide. Yet her...

Richard J. Bosner is making his directorial debut with Devoted, a new horror film featuring a strong cast. Mena Suvari, Skeet Ulrich, Elizabeth Marvel, Lin Shaye, Alicia Sanz, and Nick Stahl have all signed on for the project.

The movie tells the unsettling story of a woman, played by Suvari, who takes in her estranged sister (Marvel). Her sister is the only survivor of a mass cult suicide, and what starts as a hopeful reunion quickly turns into a nightmare. As her sister’s dark influence grows, the woman and her husband (Ulrich) find their lives spiraling into terror.

Bosner, known for producing Fruitvale Station and Black Bear, is directing and writing Devoted, which is based on his short film Devotee. The short premiered at the 2024 HollyShorts Film Festival and was also featured at Beyond Fest.

Related: 12 Best Antichrist Movies & Why You Should Watch Each

Bosner shared his vision for...

U.K.-based Blue Finch Films has acquired worldwide rights to “825 Forest Road,” the latest supernatural horror feature from “Hell House LLC” creator Stephen Cognetti. The deal comes ahead of the film’s festival premiere planned for next year, with Blue Finch set to launch sales at the American Film Market (AFM) next month.

The film marks Cognetti’s departure from his found footage roots into traditional narrative storytelling. The plot centers on Chuck, who moves to a new town with his wife and sister following a family tragedy. His fresh start is derailed when he discovers the community is plagued by a malevolent presence connected to Helen Foster, a woman who died by suicide in the 1940s. As the supernatural threat escalates, Chuck must locate Foster’s former residence at the titular address to end the haunting.

The project reunites Cognetti with “Hell House LLC” producer Joe Bandelli,...

Director and producer Kevin Shulman was awarded $1.9 million after a jury found that he was cheated out of a producer credit in Manson family murders movie Charlie Says.

The decision by the jury in Los Angeles County, which came on Feb. 9 after less than a day of deliberations, included $1 million in punitive damages for fraud. The case is one of the few business disputes concerning producer titles that have gone to trial, with most being resolved in arbitration or settling, and could inform the valuation of such posts in future legal battles.

The jury concluded that Kevin Shulman’s contract was breached when he was blindsided by an eleventh-hour deal reducing his role to co-producer and fee to $15,000 after working on the movie for eight years, including when he was undergoing treatment for cancer. Damages were calculated, in part, by determining work that would’ve come his way if he...

A breach of contract suit over claims that producer and director Kevin Shulman was shut out of Manson family murder movie Charlie Says goes to trial on Monday, setting the stage for a showdown on whether he was cheated out of a producer credit and the fees to go along with it.

Shulman and Jeremy Rosen allegedly entered into an oral agreement in 2010 to develop and produce a film based on the Mason family murders. Together, they optioned the rights to Ed Sanders’ 1971 novel The Family and set out to assemble a team of investors and crew. They drafted producer Dana Guerin and reunited screenwriter Guinevere Turner and director Mary Harron, known for their work on American Psycho.

Under their deal, Shulman and Rosen agreed to equally share all producer fees, as well as any back-end fees and participation, to be no less than five percent of the 5.5 million budget,...

Baccarin, Moseley, Wise & Shatner Fight To Your Last Death! Celebrated Voice Cast Bathes Animated Horror Film in Blood – Available Nationwide on Blu-ray October 6th from Quiver Distribution – Available Now on Digital HD and Cable VOD. Check out this stunning trailer:

“A strikingly animated, carnage-filled romp that mashes up genres and packs some nice surprises” — Dread Central

“a hyper violent thrill ride…wows with a clever script and remarkable vocal performances” — Film Threat

“Great animation that will have any horror or comic book fan happy” — Nightmarish Conjurings

Following a wildly successful run on the global film festival circuit, having netted over two dozen awards and 60 nominations, Coverage Ink and Quiver Distribution have announced the Blu-ray release of Jason Axinn’s To Your Last Death. The blood-splattered, timewarped animated family drama will be available nationwide October 6th on Blu-ray. It is currently available on a number of digital and cable platforms, including iTunes,...

Featuring a voice cast that includes Morena Baccarin, Ray Wise, Dani Lennon, Bill Moseley, and William Shatner, the animated horror film To Your Last Death is coming to Digital and VOD platforms this week, and as a special treat for Daily Dead readers, we've been provided with an exclusive clip ahead of its release.

You can watch a fall down an elevator shaft end in an unexpected way in our exclusive clip below.

Directed by Jason Axinn from a screenplay by Tanya Klein & Jim Cirile, To Your Last Death was executive produced by Tanya Klein, James Cirile, and John Frank Rosenblum.

Quiver Distribution will release To Your Last Death on Digital and VOD platforms on March 17th. Read on for additional details and a look at the exclusive clip, and in case you missed it, read Sean McGeady's FrightFest review of To Your Last Death.

Synopsis: "After emerging as the...

Exclusive: Producer and director Kevin Shulman (Her Dark Past) has filed a fraud and breach of agreement lawsuit against the producers of Mary Harron-directed Manson Family drama Charlie Says, which recently debuted at the Venice Film Festival.

In the complaint, filed in L.A. Superior Court earlier this month, Shulman claims that producers Dana Guerin, Jeremy Rosen (his former business partner), John Frank Rosenblum and Cindi Rice cut him out of the movie while he was suffering from cancer. According to the paperwork, Shulman says the producers “underhandedly robbed him of credit and compensation” on a movie he originated and worked on for more than eight years.

The suit claims that the offer of a “drastically reduced and wholly inadequate credit of co-producer and a fee cut from 2.5% of the film’s $5.5M budget to a paltry $15,000 in ‘fixed compensation'” left Shulman “baffled” and “at a loss.”

Among the...

IFC Films has picked up U.S. rights to “Charlie Says,” about three young women who fell under Charles Manson’s spell and carried out a series of brutal murders, including that of Sharon Tate, Roman Polanski’s pregnant wife. The company announced the deal on Monday.

The film, which premiered earlier this month at the Venice Film Festival, was directed by Mary Harron (“American Psycho”) from a script penned by Guinevere Turner (“American Psycho”). The film is based on Ed Sanders’ 1971 bestselling book “The Family.”

Matt Smith stars as the infamous Charles Manson alongside Suki Waterhouse, Hannah Murray, Sosie Bacon, Marianne Rendon and Merritt Wever.

Also Read: 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' Adds Rumer Willis, Margaret Qualley and Damon Herriman (Exclusive)

The film follows three young women who were sentenced to death in the Manson murder case. But after the death penalty was lifted, their sentence became life imprisonment.

Distributor plans 2019 theatrical release. Fortitude International handles international sales.

IFC Films picked up Us right to Mary Harron’s Charlie Says following its world premiere in Venice.

Matt Smith stars as the late psychopath and cult leader Charles Manson. Harron reflects on the Manson Family murders through the eyes of a graduate student tasked with counselling three of Manson’s brainwashed acolytes, whose death penalties were eventually commuted to life sentences.

Hannah Murray, Marianne Rendón, Sosie Bacon, Merritt Wever, Suki Waterhouse, Chace Crawford, and Annabeth Gish also star.

Dana Guerin, John Frank Rosenblum, and Cindi Rice produced the drama. IFC Films plans a 2019 theatrical release.

Distributor plans 2019 theatrical release. Fortitude International handles international sales.

IFC Films picked up Us right to Mary Harron’s Charlie Says following its world premiere in Venice.

Matt Smith stars as the late psychopath and cult leader Charles Manson. Harron reflects on the Manson Family murders through the eyes of a graduate student tasked with counselling three of Manson’s brainwashed acolytes, whose death penalties were eventually commuted to life sentences.

Hannah Murray, Marianne Rendón, Sosie Bacon, Merritt Wever, Suki Waterhouse, Chace Crawford, and Annabeth Gish also star.

Dana Guerin, John Frank Rosenblum, and Cindi Rice produced the drama. IFC Films plans a 2019 theatrical release.

IFC Films has acquired U.S. rights to “Charlie Says,” the Manson Family drama that recently world premiered at the Venice Film Festival. The movie is directed by “American Psycho” helmer Mary Harron and stars Matt Smith as the infamous killer Charles Manson.

In a deal believed to be in the seven figures, IFC beat out bidders such as A24, Momentum and Rlj Entertainment.

Written by Guinevere Turner and based on Ed Sanders’ 1971 bestselling book “The Family,” “Charlie Says” focuses on the three young women who fell under Manson’s spell and carried out a series of savage murders on his orders in 1969, including that of Sharon Tate, Roman Polanski’s pregnant wife. The women were given death sentences, later changed to life in prison. “Charlie Says” depicts their psychological rehabilitation as they faced the reality of their crimes.

The movie is headlined by Smith, Suki Waterhouse, Hannah Murray, Sosie Bacon,...

In today’s film news roundup, Tom Arnold and Paige Howard star in an indie comedy, “Call Her Ganda” is getting an Oscar campaign, and Epic Level has hired a “Charlie Says” executive producer.

Castings

Tom Arnold, Paige Howard, Devin Ratray, Brian Krause, and Cody Kasch are starring in the just-completed independent comedy “Hollywood.con.”

The film is a father-daughter collaboration with Benjamin Boorem producing and Mika Boorem starring and directing. Mika Boorem, whose credits include “Blue Crush” as Kate Bosworth’s sister, “Good Day for It,” and “Hearts in Atlantis,” makes her feature directing debut. The cast members have all acted with her in prior projects.

The script is written by the Boorems, Cshediiz Coleman, Benjamin Lockman, and Michael Lindley. Mika Boorem portrays a struggling actress who accidentally steals the identity of a big-time producer, portrayed by Howard, and gets thrown into a Mayan movie in Guatemala. She’s...

There are a lot of bad movies out there. Some are bad and some are just plain awful. Dungeons & Dragons and its made-for-dvd sequel D&D: Wrath of the Dragon God fall under this category. Both films based on the popular fantasy role-playing game of the same name have now been released in a Blu-ray 2-movie pack. Joy.

The first movie D&D takes place in the mythical Empire of Izmer, a place where two classes of people inhabit the land, Mages and commoners. The Mages possess special magical powers and the commoners live in poverty and often resort to crime. An over the top Jeremy Irons stars as an evil Mage named Profion who plans to dethrone the ruler of the land Empress Savina played by a wooden Thora Birch. Aware of Profion’s sinister plot, Savina must obtain the Rod of Savrille, a powerful scepter which controls dragons.

Like vampires, zombies are gaining currency in Hollywood. According to The Hollywood Reporter [1], DreamWorks is in negotiations with writer-producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Star Trek reboot, Transformers) to adapt a live action feature of James Farr's Xombie, the sci-fi/horror adventure that began life as an online flash-animated series and has now expanded into a comic book and illustrated-film. If deals are closed, Cindi Rice and John Frank Rosenblum of Epic Level Entertainment would exec produce along with Kurtzman/Orci's Bobby Cohen and Steven T. Puri. [1] http://cmpgnr.com/r.html?c=1528447&r=1527106&t=1780418481&l=1&d=91225681&u=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ie2038d49cf28a730a1a0501771854261&g=0&f=-1...

DreamWorks is in negotiations to buy "Xombie," a pitch about a zombie who is also a policeman, from cop-turned-writer Will Beall, with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci in talks to produce. "Xombie" is based on a Devil's Due comic book by James Farr, itself based on his online animated series. Farr's creation centers on a zombie cop named Dirge who attempts to saves humanity's remnants, particularly a young girl named Zoe, from evil zombies. Cindi Rice and John Frank Rosenblum of Epic Level Entertainment would executive produce along with Kurtzman/Orci's Bobby Cohen and Steven T. Puri. Beall also is adapting his debut novel "L.A. Rex," about a policeman patrolling the gang-ridden area of the 77th Division in South Los Angeles, for producer Scott Rudin.

Dreamworks and the writing tag team behind Star Trek, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci are looking at zombies, no scratch that – Xombies!

The studio is in talks to buy the film rights for Xombie, the Devil’s Due comic book by James Farr about a zombie cop named Dirge who sets out to save what is left of humanity after zombies go on the rampage, according to The Hollywood Reporter:

DreamWorks is in negotiations to acquire the source material. The logline for the movie version is being kept under wraps.

If deals are closed, Cindi Rice and John Frank Rosenblum of Epic Level Entertainment would exec produce along with Kurtzman/Orci’s Bobby Cohen and Steven T. Puri.

Zombies have clearly become the creature of choice recently, with small budget movies like Dead Snow and The Fourth Reich (in theatres next year) and of course Woody Harrelson’s black comedy...

Halo-8 Entertainment is kicking copious amounts of ass when it comes to the innovative animation technique known as "illustrated filmmaking", and upon completion of their recently announced upcoming Loaded Bible project, they will next be producing the horror/sci-fi adventure Xombie: Reanimated created by James Farr.

If the name Xombie sounds familiar, it's because this project marks the second collaboration between Halo-8 and Farr after Xombie: Dead on Arrival (DVD reviewed here) was released by the studio in March. Award-winning director Matt Pizzolo and Emmy-winning producer Brian Giberson have scheduled the new film for production in early 2010 with a theatrical release planned for later in the year.

Xombie is the story of Dirge, a dead man with a mind of his own, who struggles against his posthumous cravings (not to mention legions of the living dead). In Dead on Arrival (comic reviewed here), Dirge struggles to reunite a lost child named Zoe with her family.

You have to give James Farr credit. Entirely on his own, he has turned his dream project, Xombie, into a mini-franchise. The series about Dirge, a conscious zombie and his faithful dog originally appeared as ten webisodes entirely written, drawn and animated by Farr. As it gained attention, he expanded, penning a novel adaptation (complete with foreword by the legendary Forrest J. Ackerman) and signed a deal with Devil’s Due in 2006 for comic books as Xombie: Reanimated.

Now, Farr reports that Halo-8 Entertainment has planned a limited theatrical release of the animated series prior to releasing the episodes on DVD. Already there have been over thirteen million downloads of the webisodes so the release comes with some level of audience recognition but clearly this will extend the brand’s reach.

"Xombie is a blast!" said Matt Pizzolo, President of Halo-8. "James Farr has a fresh and engaging storytelling voice...

Halo-8 Entertainment has secured worldwide distribution rights to Xombie: The Animated Series by James Farr, an animated zombie adventure which developed a massive online following with webisodes downloaded over 13 million times. Halo-8 has slated the project for a limited theatrical release in early 2009, followed soon after by release on DVD. "As the first sentient zombie in an animated series, Xombie provides a completely new twist to the horror genre, which is why it has resonated so well with the fans," said John Frank Rosenblum, Xombie's Executive Producer. "Halo-8, a distributor with a true love for horror, is the perfect partner for expanding this unique property into a whole new market." Xombie is the story of Dirge, a dead man with a...