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Brief Backstory Delivered in Hilarious ‘Birdemic’ Behind-the-Scenes Video

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Severin Films officially announced today the acquisition of all worldwide rights to Birdemic: Shock & Terror, a hilarious indie feature from writer/producer/director James Nguyen that can only be described as “special”. Nguyen, on the other hand, describes it as “a romantic thriller”. The film is a love story about a young couple trapped in a small Northern California town under siege by homicidal birds. While those of you paying close attention have already been tuned in to the (astounding) backstory of Birdemic, beyond the break you’ll find a special EPK video that’ll give you some of the highlights. Those of you in the Los Angeles area don’t miss out on the Bloody Disgusting sponsored red carpet event taking place on February 27 (hosted by Tim & Eric!). Get more info here and join me for my 30th birthday extravaganza! “Why did the eagles and vultures attack?

Birdemic: Shock and Terror EPK from Severin Films on Vimeo.

Nguyen, a 42-year-old Vietnamese refugee, wrote, cast and shot the film over the course of four years using salary from his day job as a mid-level software salesman in Silicon Valley. The film pays homage to Hitchcock’s THE BIRDS via location shooting in Mission Bay, California, as well as an appearance by star of THE BIRDS Tippi Hedren. When rejected for an official screening slot at Sundance, Nguyen spent eight days driving up and down the festival’s nearby streets in a van covered with fake birds, frozen blood and BIRDEMIC posters, while loudspeakers blared the sounds of eagle attacks and human screams. The tactic caught the attention of festival organizers, filmgoers and local police, as well as executives from Severin Films.

BIRDEMIC is truly unlike any other film we’ve ever seen,” said Carl Daft, CEO and co-founder of Severin Films. “The fact that James Nguyen wrote, produced, directed, financed and self-marketed such a unique feature is in itself a story worth celebrating. On a certain level, this is a landmark independent production and James is truly an auteur for our time. We’re enormously excited for audiences to experience BIRDEMIC for themselves.

Severin Films is planning a limited theatrical release for BIRDEMIC: SHOCK AND TERROR later this year. The film is the company’s first contemporary acquisition.

Horror movie fanatic who co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. Producer on Southbound, V/H/S/2/3/94, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. Chicago-based. Horror, pizza and basketball connoisseur. Taco Bell daily. Franchise favs: Hellraiser, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday the 13th. Horror 365 days a year.

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Jessica Rothe Keeps the Hope Alive for Third ‘Happy Death Day’ Movie

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It’s now been five years since the release of sequel Happy Death Day 2U, Christopher Landon’s sequel to the Groundhog Day-style slasher movie from 2017. Both films star Jessica Rothe as final girl Tree Gelbman, and director Christopher Landon had been planning on bringing the character – and the actor – back for a third installment. So… where is it?!

We’ve been talking about a potential Happy Death Day 3 for several years now, with the ball in producer Jason Blum’s court. Happy Death Day 2U scared up $64 million at the worldwide box office, a far cry from the first film’s $125 million. But with a reported production budget of just $9 million, that first sequel was profitable for Blumhouse. So again… where is it?!

Chatting with Screen Geek this week while promoting her new action-thriller Boy Kills World, franchise star Jessica Rothe provided a hopeful update on Happy Death Day 3.

Well, I can say Chris Landon has the whole thing figured out,” Rothe explains. “We just need to wait for Blumhouse and Universal to get their ducks in a row.

Rothe continues in her comments to Screen Geek, “But my fingers are so crossed. I think Tree [Gelbman] deserves her third and final chapter to bring that incredible character and franchise to a close or a new beginning.”

Back in 2020, Christopher Landon had revealed that the working title for the third installment was Happy Death Day to Us, said to be “different than the other two films.”

In the meantime, Christopher Landon is directing a mysterious thriller titled Drop for Blumhouse and Platinum Dunes, along with a werewolf movie titled Big Bad for Lionsgate.

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