Exclusives
‘Friday the 13th’ Reboot Waiting On Script and Not Committed to Found Footage Or 3D (Exclusive)
With both The Purge: Anarchy (read my review) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hitting screens within two weeks of each other, Platinum Dunes producer Brad Fuller has a lot on his plate but took some time out of his schedule earlier this week to speak with us about a few of his company’s projects. Our full interview with him will be hitting tomorrow, but first we wanted to clear up some stuff concerning the upcoming Friday the 13th film, which is due in theaters November 13th, 2015.
Let’s get it out of the way. I’m a huge fan of the 2009 reboot. Last month I went on the record by saying, “for those of you who think that the most recent entry is cynical, I actually don’t think it is so much. Remember, the studio had zero respect for the franchise during its first incarnation, these were turn and burn gigs that people were turning down left and right because there was no money and the powers that be insisted on unrealistic schedules to keep the money flowing in. I’d argue that the folks behind the 2009 version actually cared more about the quality of the film than most of the people involved in the original sequels (especially later on).” While I don’t love all the rumors that have been circulating, the goodwill from the 2009 entry alone has me very much in an optimistic wait and see mode.
And Fuller’s quotes today only help that:
What’s the status of the 2015 Friday the 13th? We’ve heard found footage and we’ve heard 3D. Have either of those shifted?
“I can’t make any determination about found footage or 3D until we have a story that we all agree on and that we all like. The story is the most important thing and the way you tell the story, to me, is secondary. We have some writers writing but, because we don’t have a script that everyone has signed off on, I can’t speak to how the story is meant to be told. All of those things have been considered. But no decisions have been made. We don’t know what story is being told.”
Fuller also confirmed to me that the very talented David Bruckner (The Signal, V/H/S) is still onboard which has me just as hopeful as the news that all avenues seem to apparently be open for the film.
Check back tomorrow for my entire interview with Fuller.
Exclusives
New Documentaries Explore the Cult Legacies of ‘The Keep’ and ‘Wolfen’; Watch the Trailers Now [Exclusive]
Undersung werewolf gem Wolfen and Michael Mann’s The Keep get the spotlight in a pair of feature documentaries acquired by Antenna Releasing.
A World War II Fairy Tale, which covers the infamous production of and reception to The Keep, will receive a limited theatrical release in October, followed by a TVOD release on Apple/Amazon. The Keep will also screen as a double feature for some showings.
For Uncovering Wolfen, Antenna eyes a limited theatrical release for 2027. Both films are currently available for booking via Antenna prior to their theatrical and digital releases.
Both documentaries are directed by Stewart Buck, who co-helms with Stéphane Piter on A World War II Fairy Tale.
“We at Antenna are obsessed with film history,” said Chief Acquisitions Officer Billy Ray Brewton. “Stewart has done such a remarkable job of really diving into the deepest recesses of how these films were made and, in doing so, has created the definitive histories of both projects.”
“We’re delighted to be partnering with Antenna Releasing!” said director Buck. “It’s refreshing to see a filmmaker-friendly approach to distribution with people who know what it’s like to be in the trenches with independent projects that struggle to find a home in the crowded marketplace.”
Check out our exclusive trailer and poster reveal of both documentaries below.
Released in 1983, Michael Mann’s The Keep was a notorious box office bomb, critically lambasted and all but forgotten for years, save for the fascination with Tangerine Dream’s iconic score. In recent years, the film has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence and is widely considered a cult classic, though director Michael Mann and many cast members refuse to acknowledge it.
Wolfen, on the other hand, was critical success but was overshadowed heavily by its flashier 1981 siblings An American Werewolf in London and The Howling. It’s also a trailblazer for socio-political horror, and the doc will explore that via the craftspeople who made it.
Look for them both in theaters soon. Stay tuned for more as it arrives.
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