Movies
Fresh ‘Poltergeist’ Casting News Goes Young
Variety writes that “The Following” actor Kyle Catlett, pictured below, is looking to go from being terrorized by serial killers to being spooked by ghosts in MGM’s reboot of Poltergeist. Also in negotiations is The Kitchen Sink rising star Nicholas Braun, pictured above, says TheWrap.
Sam Rockwell and Rosemarie DeWitt are already set to star, as well as “Mad Men’s” Jared Harris.
“The story follows the Bowen family, whose life is suddenly disrupted after a supernatural force takes over their home and begins terrorizing them.”
Catlett will play one of the Bowen children. Braun is being eyed to play one of her grad students who visually documents the investigation and quickly sheds his skepticism regarding what’s really going on inside the Bowen home.
Gil Kenan directing. David Lindsay-Abaire is penning the script.
Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert will produce through their Ghost House Pictures banner along with Roy Lee, while Nathan Kahane will exec produce.
Movies
‘Abigail’ on Track for a Better Opening Weekend Than Universal’s Previous Two Vampire Attempts
In the wake of Leigh Whannell’s Invisible Man back in 2020, Universal has been struggling to achieve further box office success with their Universal Monsters brand. Even in the early days of the pandemic, Invisible Man scared up $144 million at the worldwide box office, while last year’s Universal Monsters: Dracula movies The Last Voyage of the Demeter and Renfield didn’t even approach that number when you COMBINE their individual box office hauls.
The horror-comedy Renfield came along first in April 2023, ending its run with just $26 million. The period piece Last Voyage of the Demeter ended its own run with a mere $21 million.
But Universal is trying again with their ballerina vampire movie Abigail this weekend, the latest bloodbath directed by the filmmakers known as Radio Silence (Ready or Not, Scream).
Unlike Demeter and Renfield, the early reviews for Abigail are incredibly strong, with our own Meagan Navarro calling the film “savagely inventive in terms of its vampiric gore,” ultimately “offering a thrill ride with sharp, pointy teeth.” Read her full review here.
That early buzz – coupled with some excellent trailers – should drive Abigail to moderate box office success, the film already scaring up $1 million in Thursday previews last night. Variety notes that Abigail is currently on track to enjoy a $12 million – $15 million opening weekend, which would smash Renfield ($8 million) and Demeter’s ($6 million) opening weekends.
Working to Abigail‘s advantage is the film’s reported $28 million production budget, making it a more affordable box office bet for Universal than the two aforementioned movies.
Stay tuned for more box office reporting in the coming days.
In Abigail, “After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight. In an isolated mansion, the captors start to dwindle, one by one, and they discover, to their mounting horror, that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl.”
4 New Horror Movies Releasing This Week Including ‘Late Night with the Devil’ at Home
‘Ready or Not’: Radio Silence Filmmakers Tease the “Absolute Banger” of a Sequel That’s Taking Shape
Looking for New Episodes of “Chucky” on Peacock? Here’s What Changed
‘Sting’ Review – Throwback Creature Feature Entertains With an Impressive Practical Monster
“We Built Every Creature” – ‘Alien: Romulus’ Goes Heavy on the Old School Practical Effects!
You must be logged in to post a comment.