Movies
‘The Door’ Becomes ‘Shadow People,’ First Stills
With two other films carrying the same title, I’m not exactly sure how smart it was to change Matthew Arnold’s The Door to Shadow People.
Announced last December, Shadow People is inspired by true events concerning a radio talkshow host (played by Dallas Roberts) who’s drawn to exploring paranormal activity by a caller and an unexplained death. Alison Eastwood will play a CDC investigator.
Out of Cannes we scored the first three official stills, dig on ’em inside.
“SHADOW PEOPLE is a psychological-thriller that explores the rare medical phenomenon known as SUNDS (Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome). Millions of people across the globe have had encounters with what they describe as dark, shadowy creatures that visit them at night. Sometimes horrifying, sometimes deadly, these nocturnal intruders have been described as early as man’s first recorded writings. But what are they? And what do they want?
Small town radio personality CHARLIE CROWE (Dallas Roberts) is thrust into the mystery when a strange caller relates a terrifying experience during Crowe’s late night call-in show. At the same time, CDC Public Health Agent, SOPHIE LANCOMBE (Alison Eastwood), is hot on the trail of the cause of the rare medical condition known as SUNDS. Her investigations entwine her with Charlie’s own discoveries and take them both into a dark world and a decades old cover-up about the phenomenon we now call, The Shadow People. Once you open the door to the mystery…you’ll never sleep soundly again.”
Hollywood is serious about landing the next Backrooms. Hot on the heels of a Siren Head feature announcement, Deadline reports that a new movie based on viral YouTube series The Mandela Catalogue is in development.
It also has some Hollywood heavy hitters behind it.
Amblin Entertainment’s Steven Spielberg, United Artists’ Scott Stuber (Frankenstein), and Amazon MGM Studios are set to produce, emerging victorious after a highly competitive 11-studio bidding war.
Launched in 2021, the YouTube series is set in the fictional Mandela County, Wisconsin which is “invaded by shape-shifting, nearly immortal creatures called Alternates. The Alternates are led by a false depiction of the Archangel Gabriel and their aim is to wipe out the human race by psychologically torturing them to the point of suicide. The Alternates are known for manipulating AV media, TVs, computers and GPS systems.”
The movie will be directed by the series’ creator, Alex Kister, based on a screenplay he adapted with Tyler Clifton.
The Mandela Catalogue has racked up an impressive 100 million views across its official episodes alone, solidifying it as one of the largest original analog horror franchises on YouTube.
Spielberg and Holly Bario are producing for Amblin Entertainment alongside Aaron B. Koontz for Paper Street Pictures and Stuber and Nick Nesbitt for United Artists. Kister and Clifton are also producing. Annie McCreery will oversee the project for United Artists. Maria Fortese will oversee for Amblin.
Get acquainted with The Mangela Catalogue below while we wait to learn more.