Movies
‘Mother’s Day’ Will Have to Wait, New Image, Director Talks Intensity
It was originally announced that Darren Lynn Bousman’s Mother’s Day would arriving in theaters, well, on Mother’s Day. The director of Saw II-IV launched his brand new website with a blog detailing where the thriller stands, while also sharing a brand new image featuring horror fav Jaime King.
Early in the blog Bousman goes on about having a mass amount of characters in the film, which has caused him stress in the editing room.
“Now, here I am in post, again crying… Not because it’s hard to keep track of everyone, but because every single person in this movie is AMAZING and I don’t want to cut one frame of their performances… They gave me GOLD – and GOLD shall I deliver. But, alas, part of the post process is cutting down scenes, performances, and story to fit in cohesive, dramatic fashion… AND NOT BE 6 hours long…”
Continuing on about editing, “Every scene is my favorite scene, every character is my favorite character, so having to part with even ONE frame is like watching my dog Chance being slapped in the face… It’s painful and heartbreaking.”
Before anyone gets the wrong idea, Bousman is making it very clear — this is NOT a horror film.
“What strikes me about Mother’s Day is how gut wrenching and dramatically unrelenting it is – this ISN’T really a horror film as much a thriller – but damn it’s INTENSE…
“In my opinion, Mothers Day is the most intense movie I have worked on… Not intense due to senseless violence, exaggerated gore, or flashy editing – this is intensity brought on by the amazing ensemble cast – the story, and the moments…”
The real story is his admiration for Rebecca De Mornay, who plays “Mother” in the thriller penned by Scott Milam. In the story, three brothers on the run from the law head for home, only to discover that their mother lost the house in a foreclosure. Mother ingeniously orchestrates her sons’ escape, teaching the house’s new owners and their guests a few lessons along the way.
“Rebecca De Mornay has created an iconic villainess that has more depth, more dimension than anything we have seen in recent movies of this genre,” says Bousman. “Forget what you saw in THE HANDS THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE – that was Disney compared to this! She is the REAL DEAL – terrifying and yet wildly compelling.”
You can get more details over at the site, which explain why we won’t be seeing the movie, or the trailer any time soon.
Just three years after Evil Dead Rise set the box office on fire with a $147 million worldwide haul, Evil Dead Burn was unleashed into theaters this past weekend. Unfortunately, the opening weekend for Evil Dead Burn wasn’t quite as strong as the debut for its predecessor.
Evil Dead Burn debuted in 3,004 theaters across North America and scared up $13.7 million in its domestic debut, about $10 million less than Evil Dead Rise‘s $24.5 million opening.
Worldwide, Evil Dead Burn debuted with $25 million. Given the film’s production budget was somewhere in the ballpark of $20 million, all is certainly not lost for Evil Dead Burn. That said, Warner Bros. and New Line no doubt hoped that Burn would top or at least match the domestic opening of Rise, but instead we’re looking at a case of diminishing franchise returns.
The good news for fans? Next installment Evil Dead Wrath has already wrapped production for expected release in 2028, so there’s no danger of the franchise ending with Evil Dead Burn.
Evil Dead Wrath from director Francis Galluppi (The Last Stop in Yuma County) is currently set for theatrical release on April 7, 2028, though that could change in the coming months.
Will the Evil Dead franchise be taking a break after Evil Dead Wrath? That all depends on how Wrath performs at the box office. But for what it’s worth, the post-credits scene at the end of Evil Dead Burn suggests that the franchise’s creators are hopeful for a bright future ahead.
The critical reception for Evil Dead Burn was a bit less positive than the reception to Evil Dead Rise, with Rise hitting 85% on Rotten Tomatoes and Burn currently sitting at 71%. It’s interesting to note, however, that the “Popcornmeter” on Rotten Tomatoes is a bit higher for Burn than it was for Rise, with Burn‘s currently at 80% and Rise‘s sitting a tad lower at 76%.
The site’s “Popcornmeter” scores are decided by users, rather than verified movie critics.
Which do you prefer? Evil Dead Rise or Evil Dead Burn? Sound off below.
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