News

Two years have gone by since we learned that Elizabeth Hurley (Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery) had signed on to star in Piper, a new horror film from director Anthony Waller. More than a year has passed since the film had its world premiere at FrightFest… but now it’s ready for a wider release. Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, has picked up Piper distribution rights and will be making it available to rent/own on all North American digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms, as well as on DVD, as of November 12th.

Back in 1995, director Waller made an impressive breakthrough with the thriller Mute Witness… then quickly squandered the good will he had earned with that movie by following it up with An American Werewolf in Paris. Waller has made a couple movies since the Paris debacle...

Writer/director Kyle Edward Ball’s experimental micro-budget horror film Skinamarink proved to be quite divisive when it was given a theatrical release last year, followed by a release through the Shudder streaming service. Some viewers found the movie to be terrifying, while others found it to be mind-numbingly boring… but regardless of the response, it was made on a budget of $15,000 and earned over $2 million during its theatrical run, so it was a financial success. Now, Variety reports that Ball has set up his next horror film, teaming up with A24 to bring us something called The Land of Nod.

Ball will be writing and directing The Land of Nod, but plot details are being kept under wraps for now. All we know is that it’s a horror project that will be distributed by A24, and that it’s being produced by Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, and Josh Safdie...

Stars: Julian Sands, Charlotte Hope, Aoibhe O’Flanagan, Pippa Winslow, Philipp Christopher | Written and Directed by Erlingur Thoroddsen

What are the chances that two films called The Piper, both horror films involving the legend of The Pied Piper, would come out in the same year? And that both would be hard to see? While I haven’t seen the one starring Liz Hurley yet, I did get a chance to see this one – written and directed by Erlingur Thoroddsen and featuring the late Julian Sands in one of his last roles.

It opens with the voice of Gustafson (Sands) on the phone trying to talk Katherine out of destroying the last copy of her Concerto for Children. She tells him “It is evil, no one must ever know about it” before rushing outside to try and burn it in her fire pit. But something with glowing eyes intervenes, and she burns while the manuscript survives.

Remember the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin from our childhood? The one where a piper came to rid the town of rats by playing his magical tunes, luring the pests away into the lake? But when he wasn’t paid as promised, he took away the children as revenge. Classic folklore, right? But what if I told you that legend has it that the Pied Piper isn’t just a story of the past? He still lurks among us. Not in bright, colorful clothes, but as a dark and ominous creature, playing his haunting musical hymns in a sinister manner. In the movie The Piper, directed by Erlingur Thoroddsen, the story goes like this: Catherine, inspired by the legend of the Pied Piper, creates a concerto for children. But when the tunes from her concerto lead to tragic consequences, causing the deaths of children, she tries to destroy them.

The 1995 horror movie Mute Witness has found a whole new audience here in 2024, with Shudder finally bringing the cat-and-mouse thriller to streaming earlier this month.

Additionally, Arrow Video is bringing Mute Witness to 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray for the very first time on June 11, and we’ve scored the trailer for their brand new restoration.

Watch the trailer below and read on for everything you need to know!

Director Anthony Waller (The Piper, An American Werewolf in Paris) combines cat-and-mouse suspense with classic intrigue in Mute Witness, an updated take on the Hitchcockian thriller in which the only witness to a brutal crime can neither speak nor cry out in terror.

Limited Edition Bonus Features include:

4K restoration approved by director Anthony Waller 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in HDR10 Restored original lossless stereo soundtrack Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Brand new audio...

The German legend of The Pied Piper of Hamelin is the basis of two recent horror productions. The first of these “twin films” to receive a wide release is Erlingur Thoroddsen’s take, which shares the same title as Anthony Waller’s adaptation. And although both reimaginings feature demonic updates of that famous ratcatcher, only Thoroddsen’s story appears to underscore the musical component.

The Piper finds Charlotte Hope’s (The Nun) character Mel trapped in a familiar situation: her aspirations come at a great cost, and the consequences will be harmful. Here the young composer wants a future in her orchestra ensemble as well as the means to take care of her deaf daughter (Aoibhe O’Flanagan). Stealing a concerto from the estate of her recently departed mentor (Louise Gold) seems like the only option, but once the protagonist goes through with the plan, Mel’s conductor (Julian Sands) then...

The premiere of the horror movie The Piper is just around the corner, which is why Samuel Goldwyn Films has teamed up with Collider to share an exclusive clip that underscores the high stakes involved in the story. The sneak peek also hits home because it showcases one of the final performances of Julian Sands (A Room With a View) who passed away last year. The Piper centers around a young composer who unveils a deadly secret embedded in her late mentor's concerto. The film hits theaters this Friday, March 8.

Bucke up, because March is jam packed with movies. Things start off with a spice-filled bang thanks to Dune: Part Two. Between Adam Sandler's Spaceman and the astronaut documentary Space: The Longest Goodbye, the solar system isn't going anywhere. Horror fans are in for multiple treats with Imaginary, The Piper, Night Shift, Immaculate, and Late Night With the Devil. Need some ghosts and Paul Rudd? Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is the movie for you.

Exclusive: Bernard Kira, the manager and producer behind the nine-year-old shingle Bmk-ent, has rebranded the company as Apparent Motion Media, also announcing his signing of International Emmy winner Fernando Rovzar (Hotel Cocaine).

Kira’s move to rebrand comes as he preps Higher Ground, his third film as a producer, and second for an in-house client. Heading into production in March, the film is based on a script discovered by Apparent Motion client Charlie Weber (How to Get Away with Murder), which was developed internally, before being packaged and sold with Weber headlining. Previously, Kira set up client Erlingur Thoroddsen’s film The Piper, a horror pic poised to hit theaters on March 8.

In a statement on the re-launch of his company, Kira made the observation that “artists are becoming more proactive in generating their own opportunities and controlling the trajectory of their careers.” He added that he “started Bmk-ent with...

The late Julian Sands (Warlock) leaves behind a few final roles, one of which is upcoming horror movie The Piper. Our friends over at Rue Morgue have debuted the official trailer.

Rue Morgue reports, “Samuel Goldwyn Films and Tubi Films will bring The Piper to select theaters and VOD/digital platforms March 8.” You can watch the trailer down below.

Charlotte Hope (The Conjuring Universe’s The Nun) also stars.

In The Piper, “A young composer is given the opportunity of a lifetime when she is tasked with finishing her late mentor’s concerto. She soon discovers that playing the music summons deadly consequences, leading her to uncover the disturbing origins of the melody and the evil force it has awakened: the Pied Piper.”

Erlingur Thoroddsen wrote and directed The Piper.

Bernard Kira and Les Weldon are producing with Millennium Media’s Yariv Lerner, Jeffrey Greenstein, Jonathan Yunger and Tanner Mobley.

Back in June of 2021, it was announced that Julian Sands, best known around here for playing the Warlock in the 1989 horror film fittingly titled Warlock and then coming back for the sequel Warlock: The Armageddon, had signed on to star in a new genre project called The Piper, which puts a horrific twist on the legend of the Pied Piper. Sadly, it was only seven months later that we heard Sands had gone missing while hiking on California’s Mount Baldy. Six months later, his body was found. He did get to work on The Piper before he passed away, though, and the film is now ready to make its way out into the world. It’s set to receive a theatrical and digital/on demand release on March 8th, and with that date exactly one month away a trailer has arrived online. You can check it out in the embed above.

The late Julian Sands stars opposite Charlotte Hope in The Piper, and the trailer for the movie has landed. More here.

The actor Julian Sands left us in 2023, when he disappeared while mountaineering in California at the start of the year. Aged just 65, he left behind a wealth of acting work, including a handful of movies he’d shot but hadn’t been released.

Here’s one of them now. It’s called The Piper, and Sands co-stars with Charlotte Hope in the film. It looks a hearty mix of classical music and horror, and thus far, we have but a smattering of information about it. We shall thus duly share with you what we have.

The logline for the movie reads, quite simply:

When a composer must finish her late mentor’s concerto, she discovers that playing its music summons deadly consequences.

We also have the trailer for the film,...

"She didn't want it performed!" Samuel Goldwyn Films & Tubi Films have revealed an official trailer for a supernatural horror film titled The Piper, a chilling tale of the Pied Piper. This initially premiered at the 2023 Screamfest Horror Film Festival last year, and it already opened in some European countries last fall. Set for a US release on VOD this March. When a young composer must finish her late mentor's concerto, she discovers that playing its music summons deadly consequences. Eerily enough, this is one of the final roles for British actor Julian Sands, who died in early 2023. His co-stars states: "The Piper is dark, creepy and kind of fun and his chilling portrayal of the orchestra's conductor had me genuinely terrified." The film also stars Charlotte Hope, Aoibhe O'Flanagan, and Oliver Savell. With a score by composer Christopher Young. This looks pretty scary, an orchestra horror fairy tale thriller. "If you hear it,...

The King of Queens and Paul Blart: Mall Cop star Kevin James is set to star in the new action comedy Guns Up, playing an ex-cop and family man who moonlights as a mob henchman. When a job goes horribly wrong and both of his worlds collide, he has one night to get his family out of the city.

Millennium Media, known for the Hitman’s Bodyguard and Expendables franchise, is handling world sales on the upcoming feature and will be pitching it to international buyers at the Cannes Film Market next week.

Edward Drake, director of Amazon Prime thriller Broil, will direct Guns Up from his own screenplay. Production on Guns Up is set to start in June, with BondIt Media Capital financing and assisting with project packaging.

“We couldn’t be more excited to team up with Ed on this film, which stars the incredibly talented Kevin James...

Jack Kesy will portray Hellboy in “The Crooked Man,” a new movie based on the demonic comic book character. It’s the latest reboot of the role, which has been previously immortalized on screen by Ron Perlman and David Harbour.

Millennium Media is backing “The Crooked Man,” which will be directed by Brian Taylor from a script by “Hellboy” comic book creator Mike Mignola and Chris Golden. It will be the first film in the Millennium Media partnered development slate with German film and TV distributor Telepool, a division of Westbrook Inc.

Based on the 2008 comic of the same name, the movie focuses on the character’s earlier days and takes place as Hellboy and a rookie Bprd (which stands for Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) agent are stranded in 1950s rural Appalachia. There, they discover a small community haunted by witches, led by a local devil with a...

Actor Jack Kesy, who most recently appeared in “Without Remorse,” will star as the new Hellboy in “Hellboy: The Crooked Man” for Millennium Media. Brian Taylor (“Crank”) is directing the new movie from a script by comics creator Mike Mignola and Chris Golden.

“Jack Kesy is a dynamic actor who has the ability to morph into his roles. His talent and stature are perfect for this younger Hellboy. I was very impressed with him while working together on The Outpost,” Jonathan Yunger, co-president of Millennium Media said in a statement.

The film follows Hellboy, a half-demon summoned from Hell to Earth as he’s stranded in 1950s rural Appalachia with a rookie Bprd (Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense) agent who stumble upon a community of witches led by the Crooked Man, a mysterious figures with connections to Hellboy’s past.

Millennium bought the rights to “Hellboy” back in 2018. This...

Production is first in company’s development slate partnership with Telepool.

Millennium Media has cast Jack Kesy from Deadpool 2, The Outpost and 12 Strong in the lead of Hellboy instalment The Crooked Man, the company’s first film in the development slate partnership with Telepool.

As previously announced, Brian Taylor (Crank) will direct from a screenplay by Hellboy comic book creator Mike Mignola and Chris Golden.

The Crooked Man takes place in 1950s rural Appalachia where a stranded Hellboy and a rookie Bprd (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) agent discover a small community haunted by witches, led by...

LevelK has boarded Icelandic crime drama “Cold,” directed by Erlingur Óttar Thoroddsen and based on the bestselling book “The Undesired” (“Kuldi”) by Yrsa Sigurdardóttir. Still in production, it was recently pitched at Venice Gap-Financing Market.

The story centers on Óðinn, living alone with his daughter Rún. As he investigates decades-old deaths at a juvenile treatment center, he begins to suspect that the sinister secrets are connected to his ex-wife’s mysterious suicide. As well as his daughter’s strange behavior.

“Erlingur is an established, talented director who respects the audiences and finds it fascinating to thrill them,” says LevelK’s CEO Tine Klint.

“We were captured by his take on the book, his style and the entire team behind the production.”

Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Sara Dögg Ásgeirsdóttir and “Woman at War” lead Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir are all set to star.

“On the surface, ‘Cold’ certainly seems like a classic Nordic noir.

Millennium Media (Till Death starring Megan Fox) shares with ScreenDaily the first photo of Erlingur Thoroddsen’s The Piper, a dark retelling of the Pied Piper legend starring Warlock‘s Julian Sands and Charlotte Hope (The Conjuring Universe’s The Nun). The film is the story of a young composer who is given the opportunity of a lifetime. […]

The post First Look at ‘The Piper’, a Dark Retelling of the Pied Piper appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Exclusive: The Spanish Princess and Game of Thrones actress Charlotte Hope will star with Julian Sands (The Killing Fields) in feature horror The Piper, which is now underway at Millennium Media’s Nu Boyana Studios in Bulgaria.

The film, a dark re-imagining of the Pied Piper tale, will chart how a young composer is given the opportunity of a lifetime when she is tasked with finishing her late mentor’s concerto. But she soon discovers that playing the music summons deadly consequences, leading her to uncover the disturbing origins of the melody and the evil force it has awakened: the Pied Piper.

Erlingur Thoroddsen (Rift) is directing from his script and Christopher Young (Hellraiser) will compose the score. Millennium is continuing sales on the movie during the Cannes virtual market.

Producers are Bernard Kira, Les Weldon and on behalf of Millennium Media include Yariv Lerner, Jeffrey Greenstein, Jonathan Yunger, and Tanner Mobley.

Millennium Media is paying for The Piper.

The genre specialist has come on board to produce the high-concept horror movie, described as a dark re-imagining of the Pied Piper tale, and is pitching the project to buyers at Berlin’s virtual European Film Market. Icelandic director Erlingur Thoroddsen, whose credits include Rift (2017), Child Eater (2016), and a segment of the 2016 horror anthology Patient Seven, will direct The Piper from his own script.

The film follows a young composer who is given the opportunity of a lifetime when she is tasked with finishing her late mentor’s concerto. But she soon discovers that playing the music summons ...