Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Horror

  • ‘Scream 6’ Adds Samara Weaving and Tony Revolori to Cast

    ‘Scream 6’ Adds Samara Weaving and Tony Revolori to Cast

    The Scream franchise has officially expanded its ensemble with two marquee additions for its next film. As initially reported on by Bloody Disgusting and later confirmed by Deadline, both Samara Weaving and Tony Revolori have been cast in undisclosed roles for Scream 6. The latest installment in Paramount Pictures’ horror franchise is currently in production and is slated to release theatrically on March 31, 2023.

    In addition to the new names, Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, and Jenna Ortega return after appearing in the initial revival film earlier this year. In addition, this film will see the return of Hayden Panettiere to the world of Scream as her character Kirby Reed. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are helming this new film after their work on the most recent Scream film.

    The young Tony Revolori has established himself as a mainstay in the landscape of Hollywood and this currently untitled Scream sequel has the potential to continue to elevate him as a performer. He’s best known from his work as Flash Thompson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider-Man trilogy and especially for his critically acclaimed performance in Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel.

    Meanwhile, this film serves as a reuniting of Samara Weaving and directors Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett after working together on 2019’s Ready or Not. The comedy horror film served as a launching pad for Weaving’s career into more mainstream attention that she has been capitalizing on moving forward. As well, Weaving confirmed to Collider previously that she was approached for a role in this most recent Scream film, but scheduling conflicts prevented her from appearing.

    We were talking about it, but our schedules aren’t gonna work, which is a bummer. We talked about it a lot, but unfortunately, because of scheduling, I couldn’t do it. I’ll still be [in Australia], working on Nine Perfect Strangers, so we couldn’t make it work. Traveling is very difficult these days.

    Samara Weaving

    It certainly will be interesting to follow any further developments for Scream 6 in the year heading into its release and what it may mean for the future of the franchise.

    Sources: Bloody Disgusting, Deadline, Collider  

  • New ‘Scream 6’ Set Photos Offer First Look at Courteney Cox

    New ‘Scream 6’ Set Photos Offer First Look at Courteney Cox

    It was back in March when we learned that the Scream reboot is not only getting a sequel in 2023 but also that Courteney Cox is making her return to the horror franchise again. Wasn’t too surprising given that the Spyglass Media film pulled in $140M on a tiny budget and directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett were eager to tackle another entry. Early June, we got some set photos teasing that the sequel will take place in New York City, which is quite the departure from their usual home of Woodsboro, California. Now, a few new set photos have found their way online and they offer our first look at Courteney Cox‘s return. Twitter user @morebuttertv took to their account to share two new images offering a first look at the former Friends star on set.

    We still know very little about the production and how Cox‘s return will tie into the story. The next entry and return of Ghostface will be quite the departure from the previous entries, especially with Neve Campbell no longer involved with the sequel. The franchise built up an ensemble cast over the years, surprisingly if you consider it’s a slasher film, and there are many questions about how they may potentially build upon how the previous reboot ended.

    There’s also the curious question of how they’ll title it. Technically it is Scream 6 but the fifth entry was simply revealed as “Scream.” Now, they could take The Fast Saga route and just get creative with the name, or potentially they’ll go with a simple route by just tilting it Scream 2. Whatever it may end up being, we’re lucky to see this classic franchise make its return.

    Source: Twitter

  • First ‘Scream 6’ Set Photos Tease New York City Setting

    First ‘Scream 6’ Set Photos Tease New York City Setting

    It looks like Scream has found a new home in the upcoming sixth entry, as Twitter user @topgirlcassidy has shared some set photos from Montréal, Canada where they are filming the sequel. Yet, many of the vehicles have seemingly hinted at the sequel taking place in New York City, as there are NYPD cars and license plates on the vehicles. It’s quite the departure from the story normally taking place in Sidney Prescott’s (Neve Campbell) hometown of Woodsboro California. You can see the set photos here:

    https://twitter.com/topgirlcassidy/status/1535611808307879938

    The franchise made a grand return with its latest entry simply titled Scream brought back some iconic cast members and reintroduced Ghostface to a new generation. Yet, the sixth entry will be its potentially biggest departure with Campbell no longer involved in the production. It’s unclear how they will continue to tell this story that commonly revolves around Sydney Prescott, but they may be redefining the franchise.

    Of course, some familiar faces are making their return and it’s not going to be a full-on reboot of the franchise. The new setting in New York City could possibly be also just a temporary switch and doesn’t necessarily mean that the franchise is completely moving away from Woodsboro.

    Source: Twitter

  • REVIEW: ‘Scare Zone’

    REVIEW: ‘Scare Zone’

    When it comes to watching indie horror movies, every so often you’ll come upon a true gem of a movie. Scare Zone is not one of those gems. At all. Scare Zone is something that feels half-baked. It truly never comes together and it’s all the more evident in the final scenes of the film. The best way to explained Scare Zone is that it feels like a project that was filmed for some friends to gain experience making movies. The scares are terrible, as is the acting for the most part. The most frustrating thing about Scare Zone, however, is that the premise for this film was promising. So, how does such an interesting premise go so wrong? That’s the question you’ll be asking yourself after watching this indie horror movie.

    The press release for Scare Zone notes that the movie hails from the creator of such rides as Shrek 4D in Universal Studios and Pirates 4D! in Sea World. It’s odd that these are used as selling points. A Shrek ride isn’t exactly something viewers will want to consider when debating to watch Scare Zone, even if the ride is enjoyable. Perhaps the most frustrating part of the movie, though, is that it was filmed at Halloween Horror Nights. In a film that is supposed to tease what would occur if a killer nested in a haunted house, Scare Zone could have easily taken advantage of its setting and yet, it doesn’t. It never feels as though the movie understands how to tell its proposed story. Sure, horror films have a habit of trying to be funny before all hell breaks loose, but Scare Zone seems determined to be funny more so than scary. It’s a mixture of the acting and the poorly written dialogue that kill this movie as soon as it starts.

    An idea is nothing if it is poorly executed. While writer-director Jon Binkowski had a great idea, it didn’t translate to the screen. What if there was a killer that lived on set of a haunted house-type attraction and was driven to kill unsuspecting workers? It is a great concept and something that would make sense to film at Halloween Horror Nights. Unfortunately, Scare Zone feels like a minimal effort take on the premise. It spends a fair amount of time trying to build a relationship between two of the haunted house workers, and a majority of the kills aren’t even shown. The ones that are? Well, they’re more amusing than scary.

    If Binkowski had the budget along with better talent and a tighter script, Scare Zone could’ve been an enjoyable little horror movie. But this isn’t about what-ifs, this is about a movie that falls apart almost instantly. It’s described as a well-received indie horror film, so perhaps there are others that enjoyed Scare Zone despite its problems. This writer sadly was not one of them.

    One final note: There are some flashing lights in the film. Unfortunately, though, the film has no warning, so please keep this in mind.

  • REVIEW: ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 Starts Disjointed But Ends on a High Note

    REVIEW: ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 Starts Disjointed But Ends on a High Note

    It’s been a long wait since we got the last season of Stranger Things but it has finally come to an end. We return to our motley crew of rebellious teenagers as they face teenage angst, being accepted in high school, and an interdimensional threat. You know, normal teenager stuff with some 80s flair. Yet, the latest season sees our crew split up across the United States as a new threat arises to haunt the innocent town of Hawkins. Can the story keep up the momentum after almost three years?

    Jumping back into the world of Stranger Things took a bit. We catch up with what has happened in the meantime since the events of the original. There’s a lot that happened off-screen which the show tries to make up for with a quick catch-up. One thing that does become a bit of a hindrance for the earlier episodes is that after splitting them up in the last season, most of the time is spent on them once again reuniting. It does feel like the beginning could’ve been shortened at times, but they were at their own mercy from how they ended the last season.

    The thing that sticks out this time around is that we have a very clearly defined bad guy early on. While the Upside-Down will always be this malevolent force behind everything, we get introduced to a more humanoid creature, which will later be called Vecna. While visually stunning with the practical suit, it doesn’t quite live up to the Flayed from last season with his more humanoid appearance. He’s still intimidating and the concept of how he uses his abilities to prey on people’s regrets is certainly a nightmarish concept. The way he kills his victims adds to the horrific body horror at play this season.

    Yet, as early as we find out who our main threat is this time around, it does feel like it takes a while to get to a point where the conflict arises. We get an entire sequence on Eleven being bullied at school, which was terrible and highlighted the challenges she was facing given her past. It serves a much stronger purpose later on but it does feel like it dragged on a bit. Her reaction towards it also serves as a red herring for a later reveal, which softens the blow on the event a bit. It just depends on if you stick with it until the end.

    The issue early on is that there are just way too many characters at this point which leads to some getting left behind along the way. The original cast returns but we also have the new characters of Eduardo Franco as Argyle and Joseph Quinn‘s Eddie Munson–who are both fantastic additions to be fair. We even have the return of Matthew Modine and Paul Reiser as Martin Brener and Sam Owens respectively. While it didn’t grow by too much, we already have a big cast of characters and sadly the one that gets lost in the shuffle is Noah Schnapp‘s Will Byers and Charlie Heaton‘s Jonathan Byers. They have conflicts that tie into the story but it just feels like they got sidelined quite a bit this time around, especially due to them being mostly sidelined to keep the plot moving.

    However, while saying that, once the plot of Stranger Things gets going; it really gets going. The first episode ends on quite the cliffhanger, which sadly highlights the drawback of its binge model as that would’ve kept people talking for quite a while. It also highlights that this might be the scariest of the seasons so far, as while we had body horror last time around, it was more gross than scary. This time, there’s actual tension built up as we get inside the heads of the various characters before their eventual fate catches up with them.

    An interesting highlight was the deep dive into the era of “Dungeons & Dragons is worshipping satan” and integrating it into the escalation of the plot. We actually get a conflict with their parents, especially as the Upside-Down starts seeping more into their world. The series is at its best when we spend time in Hawkins, where the actual threat is unleashed and it builds up this horror-mystery concept around the events. Yet, we are not only busy spending time in California but also in Russia.

    There was no secret that David Harbour‘s Jim Hopper survived the events from last time and it was great to see him take the character down a darker path. Considering what he went through, the elephant moment being an absolute nightmare on screen, and how it ties back to the Cold War plots from the last season. The plot in this does build up some great tension but in the episodes provided it’s unclear how it’ll connect back into the overarching plot. So, we’ll see how the final two might pull it back into the main plot.

    The issue the series faces early on is that it needs to set up many different elements to bring it all together by the end. While a bit of a drag early on, the ending is the highlight of the season besides the amazing episode “Dear Billie” with an amazing performance by Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield. Even Eleven’s little side adventure that starts off as this strange setback for her character comes together in the finale in a big way, which had me rewatch the final moments to just see what I may have missed. I am quite excited to see how this lead into the final two episodes and the eventual final season.

    The new season doesn’t reinvent the wheel. The iconic music and 80s Amblin-inspired cinematography return at full force. The new characters bring something fun to the table with Eduardo Franco being quite the standout comic relief. There is some effects work that did stick out and highlight how the pandemic has slammed the VFX industry, but with any other show, it doesn’t take away from the overall experience. Stranger Things is something special and continues to be that, it just needed a little this season to get that usual flow going.

    It may be a bit of a disjointed start but it pulls it back together by the end. With only two more episodes set to release in July, it’s unclear if the true season finale can pull off the same, especially with the final episode being over two hours long. Still, the setup with Vecna may be of its interesting, and knowing that the fifth will be its final season creates a really interesting atmosphere on how they continue beyond this season. So, be sure to check it out and avoid as many spoilers as possible.

  • REVIEW: ‘They Talk’ is Great Until it Forgets What it Wants to Be

    REVIEW: ‘They Talk’ is Great Until it Forgets What it Wants to Be

    There are plenty of indie horror films that hit every year. Some are good. Some are terrible. (Thanks, Heckle and Trip.) Then there are some that are great, until they’re not. They Talk is one of the latter.

    When the movie first starts, They Talk seems promising. It’s well-shot, the story seems intriguing, and it essentially throws viewers directly into the chaos. If only the movie managed to keep it together. It’s frustrating watching They Talk at times because it does have potential. It’s a different type of indie horror film. The acting is shockingly good for such a low-budget title. Heck, even the cinematography and music are enjoyable. And yet, it is as though the film forgets what it wants to be by the end.

    The movie tells the story of Alex Browlin (Jonathan Tufvesson), a sound engineer who accidentally records mysterious voices of those in the afterlife. Despite the voices warning him of imminent and terrifying danger, Alex initially ignores the warnings. When someone from his past suddenly re-emerges, it triggers a chilling paranormal phenomena that leave behind a trail of corpses. It’s clear something has triggered these events, and it’ll be up to Alex to try and figure it out before it’s too late.

    Giorgio Bruno, who has worked on all of nine titles to date, is the director of this film. While Rocco Marra, who has been working since 2001, is the cinematographer. While it’s hard to say whether to not Bruno leaves his mark on this film, as it can be uneven in its direction, Marra does seem to have a clear eye regarding cinematography. The cinematography is often what makes the film work when the dialogue and acting are subpar. The framing work is very good for the most part, as is the saturation. The moments that need to scare? They do because of Marra.

    Unfortunately, though, while They Talk has promising moments – and perhaps even some decent scares – the entire third-act tanks the movie. Nothing else comes to make sense by the end. It’s almost as if the writers forgot what they were attempting to do with the film. It loses focus and tries to be something more only to become like every other indie horror film before it. Overall, for those looking for a good scare, steer clear of this one. Don’t waste the time on a film that doesn’t seem to care about the audiences’ time.

  • 3 New ‘Silent Hill’ Titles in Development

    3 New ‘Silent Hill’ Titles in Development

    Just recently, we shared leaked photos from what is supposedly the new mainline Silent Hill revival. It’s been quite a long time since the last entry in the franchise, which was Silent Hill: Downfall back in 2012. So, many have been hoping to see one of the most influential horror franchises make a grand return, and it seems that Konami is cooking up quite a bit for the franchise’s revival.

    According to Video Game Chronicles, there are currently not one but three games in development. This adds to recent leaks by journalist Jeff Grubb and influencer NateTheHate adding to the possibility of these projects in development. It seems that Bloober is the one working actively on one of the new Silent Hill entries. This may be a remake of Silent Hill 2 is in some form of development, which will feature “reworked AI, animations, puzzles and several new endings” with a PlayStation exclusive release planned for a limited time.

    In addition, we have a new mainline game and an episodic series of “short stories” in some form of development. It seems Until Dawn’s Supermassive might have been in talks before creating the concept for the Dark Pictures anthology. Annapurna Interactive may now be the one involved with the new episode project, but there have seemingly been many in some form of discussion. For now, there’s hope we could see something later this year.

    Source: VGC

  • Sam Raimi Reveals How ‘Evil Dead’ Influenced ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ 

    Sam Raimi Reveals How ‘Evil Dead’ Influenced ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ 

    Since it’s very announcement, Marvel Studios has been describing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as their first true foray into the horror genre. As such, it made a lot of sense when the company hired Sam Raimi to replace Scott Derrickson as the film’s director. The iconic filmmaker has experience with both comic book projects and horror movies, and has even mixed the two before in 1990’s Darkman. However, it was apparently his work on the famed Evil Dead franchise that helped him the most throughout filming of Doctor Strange. In a recent interview with Fandom, Raimi explained:

    It was really nice to have the experience of having made those horror films because I could take my knowledge of building suspense and delivering scares, and when it got spooky in Multiverse of Madness, I could apply those techniques.

    Sam Raimi

    The latest MCU film is said to be filled with plenty of ghastly moments and jump scares. Raimi is known for his fast-paced camera work and up-close visuals, which the film’s star Rachel McAdams confirmed in her own quote:

    He’s really great at describing what is happening in his mind’s eye, thank goodness, because, you can see it all sort of swirling in there. And you’re like [whispering] ‘What are we doing? What’s happening?’ And then he’s very good about taking you through the whole day and what this will look like and what’s coming towards you and the build up of a scene and how scary it’s going to be. You sort of start to understand, like, ‘Oh, this is my part in this. And this is how I can help him make it as scary as possible.’ That was kind of fun. And doing super, super tight shots – like, way up in your face! But once you know why, that’s kind of exciting.

    Rachel McAdams

    Fans will see just how terrifying Doctor Strange can be when Multiverse of Madness hits theaters on May 6th.
    News

    Source: Fandom


  • EXCLUSIVE: Tony Todd to Star in ‘Werewolf Game’

    EXCLUSIVE: Tony Todd to Star in ‘Werewolf Game’

    Horror icon Tony Todd has stayed very busy over the past several years. The actor reprised his role as Candyman in Nia DaCosta’s 2021 thriller, voiced Scare Glow in Netflix’s Masters of the Universe: Revelations and has nearly half a dozen projects in post-production. And now we can add one more project to the mix as Todd has signed on in a lead role in the upcoming horror film Werewolf Game.

    Written by Jack Payne II, and directed by Payne and Cara Brennan, Werewolf Game is based on the game Mafia, also known as Werewolf, created as a social experiment by Dimitry Davidoff, in which a group of people portray villagers and try to deduce who among them is a “werewolf” while the werewolves choose who to kill. Todd will play the film’s antagonist, The Judge, and is also serving as an executive producer on the film, which is set to debut in 2023. Casting is currently underway for nearly a dozen lead roles and production is scheduled to begin in Los Angeles in late-March. The film’s storyline, according to IMDB, is included below:

    Adapted from the adult party game of social deduction, created by Dimitry Davidoff in 1986, Werewolf Game is a death-game, horror mystery film. Twelve kidnapped strangers must play a game where they vote on who amongst them to murder. At night, the “werewolves” hidden among them come out to brutally kill one of the 12 “villagers” in return. The days repeat until one winning group remains.

  • Jason Blum Offers Update on ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s Film

    Jason Blum Offers Update on ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s Film

    Five Nights at Freddy’s has been quite the pop-cultural phenomenon when the first game was released by indie developer Scott Cawthon. The simple premise of you being a nightguard stuck in a Chuck E. Cheese-inspired pizza parlor as the animatronics come to life to kill you built quite the connection with players. There was a lot of excitement when Chris Columbus signed on to direct the project. Well, that was until he left the project in October making many wonders if the project is still happening.

    Luckily, the founder of the production company, Jason Blum, had a QnA session on Twitter, where he answered a few questions regarding the project. While he didn’t offer any updates, it was the first time we’ve heard anything about it since Columbus left the project. In one of his tweets, he pointed out that the project is still in development and hasn’t been passed on.

    He also answer a question regarding if a new director has been attached to the project, which they are seemingly still actively looking to find. The original director signed on all the way back in 2018, but due to Cawthon not signing off on any scripts – which there have supposedly been quite a few – and delaying the project further.

    It’s a bit disheartening how long the project has taken, as even if the series may have overstayed its welcome for many, there’s something about the base concept that works incredibly well for a horror franchise. Five Nights at Freddy’s has also seen a resurgence with its latest game release Security Breach, which had a mixed reception. Here’s hoping we get some news on the project moving forward in the near future.

    Source: Twitter, Twitter