Movies
Confirmed: Spike Lee Directs Dark Thriller ‘Oldboy’
After a three-year hiatus, Spike Lee has found his next feature directing project, committing to helm Mandate Pictures’ remake of the South Korean thriller Oldboy, as previously rumored late last week.
“The original story revolves around a man who’s kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years. When he’s finally released and begins looking into the reason for his captivity, he soon finds out that his kidnapper has even more torturous plans for him.”
The original film, released in 2003 and directed by Chan-wook Park, won the Grand Prize Jury Award at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.
Mark Protosevich has adapted the script with Roy Lee and Doug Davison producing through Vertigo Entertainment and 40 Acres & A Mule Productions. Mandate prexy Nathan Kahane will exec produce.
Oldboy has been a high priority at Mandate for some time, with Steven Spielberg at one point eyeing to direct and Will Smith circling to star. When Spielberg and Smith moved on, the project went under the radar as Mandate began searching for new candidates.
Movies
‘Rubberhead’ Documentary Spotlights The Wild Life & Work of SFX Raconteur Steve Johnson [Trailer]
Few in the industry are as candid as Emmy-winning artist Steve Johnson (Fright Night, Poltergeist II, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master) and that rare honesty is on full display in the first trailer for documentary Rubberhead: The Life & Monsters of Steve Johnson.
The doc is headed to the Fantasia Film Festival for its world premiere on July 23.
In Rubberhead, “Known for his intense work ethic, perfectionism, and obsession with breaking new ground, Steve Johnson created iconic creatures and effects for some of the most beloved horror and sci-fi movies in cinema history. RUBBERHEAD is a humorous and heartfelt portrait of the life and times of one of Hollywood’s most prolific monster makers, as well as a historical journey through the golden age of special effects makeup.”
As the trailer previews, Johnson shares outrageous anecdotes about his freewheeling adventures in Hollywood, chronicling his meteoric rise and subsequent fall. The doc also highlights cinema’s most groundbreaking effects and techniques, along with Johnson’s deeply personal account of self-sabotage, divorce, and serious struggles with addiction.
Linnea Quigley, John Landis, Tom Holland, and Oscar-winner Bill Corso also contribute as talking heads in this illuminating doc. Director Nick Taylor co-writes with Joseph Krings.
[Related] Steve Johnson Details the ‘Incredible Hulk’ Monster Movie That Never Was!
If you want to dive into Steve Johnson’s wild career in the meantime, check out his two-book saga Rubberhead: Sex, Drugs and Special FX, which serves as the basis for the documentary.
Stay tuned for more from Fantasia 2026 and Rubberhead. In the meantime, check out the first trailer and poster below.