Movies
‘The Mummy’ Revived Over at Dimension as Low Budget Fare
While capturing what Paranormal Activity had is like winning the lottery, the lesson it should be delivering is that a studio can make a good movie for a modest budget. Sh*t, with the announcement of J.J. Abrams’ Super 8 this morning, it had me thinking back to the success of Cloverfield, and then shaking my head in dismay. Not a single studio learned a thing from Abrams. It took a $15k indie film to knock some sense into these fools. Anyways, Dimension Films, a studio not known for being smart or frugal, must have received a lobotomy as they’re putting a low budget spin on the resurrection of The Mummy! Read on for the skinny.
From the LA Times:
“Dimension Films, the genre label run by Bob Weinstein, is making a deal to develop The Mummy Archives, described as a more artful and modestly budgeted version of “The Mummy,” the insanely lucrative Brendan Fraser franchise.
The film will focus on several young people who are haunted by a mummy curse, with the action playing out very much in the unseen realm, as both the audience and the characters frequently experience the effects of the curse without seeing it explicitly.
The project comes with some appealing names: Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego, a young Spanish genre director who attracted quite a bit of heat a couple years back for his Spanish-language thriller “The King of the Hill” (“El Rey de la Montana,” which the Weinstein Co. released in the U.S.), is in final negotiations to write the screenplay and direct the film. Douglas Wick, the veteran producer behind mega-hits such as “Gladiator,” generated the idea and is in final negotiations to produce the film through his Red Wagon Entertainment banner.
In its 11 years of existence, Universal’s “Mummy” franchise has generated more than $1.2 billion in global box office across three films. But those movies are CG-dependent and pricey to make, and in the wake of “Paranormal Activity,” studios are looking for the big breakout that doesn’t cost big money (including companies like Dimension that have always been budget-conscious). The budget for “Mummy Archives” is expected to be in the $5-million range, a number that allows for some lean and mean storytelling but isn’t high enough to spook anyone.“
Movies
‘Rosemary’s Baby’ Prequel ‘Apartment 7A’ from ‘Relic’ Director Heads to Paramount+ This Halloween
Get ready to revisit the Bramford apartment building this Fall. Paramount+ today announced that the all-new original film set before Rosemary’s Baby, Apartment 7A, will premiere this Halloween season exclusively on the streaming service.
Set in 1965 New York City, the film tells the story prior to the horror classic Rosemary’s Baby, exploring what happened in the apartment before Rosemary Woodhouse moved in.
Our first look image gives a closer peek at the Bramford. Check it out above.
Directed by Relic filmmaker Natalie Erika James, the film stars Julia Garner (Ozark, Wolf Man), Dianne Wiest (Mayor of Kingstown), Jim Sturgess (Across the Universe) and Kevin McNally (Pirates of the Caribbean film series). Additional supporting cast includes Marli Siu (Anna and the Apocalypse), Andrew Buchan (All the Money in the World), Rosy McEwen (Blue Jean) and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Wonka).
In Apartment 7A, “When a struggling, young dancer (Garner) suffers a devastating injury, she finds herself drawn in by dark forces when a peculiar, well-connected, older couple promises her a shot at fame.”
“Apartment 7A is the perfect way to kick off the Halloween season,” said Jeff Grossman, Executive Vice President, Programming, Paramount+. “Director Natalie Erika James and the prodigious creative team have crafted a chilling and clever new entry into the genre.”
The psychological thriller is a Paramount+ original movie in association with Paramount Pictures and is based on the novel Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin. Directed by James, with a screen story by Skylar James and a script by Natalie Erika James & Christian White and Skylar James, the film is executive produced by Vicki Dee Rock and Alexa Ginsburg, and is produced by John Krasinski, Allyson Seeger, p.g.a, Michael Bay, Andrew Form, p.g.a, and Brad Fuller.
While Paramount+ hasn’t announced the official debut date just yet, expect Apartment 7A to arrive just in time for Halloween as part of the streamer’s Peak Screaming collection that offers a broad and popular lineup of new originals, fan-favorite horror movies and iconic Halloween episodes from beloved series.
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