Katherine Heigl Joins Puppet Thriller, ‘The Happytime Murders’

Katherine Heigl is going full circle. Having kicked her movie career off with Bride of Chucky (among others), the starlette was just attached to Face Blind and is now in final negotiations to star in the Jim Henson Co.’s The Happytime Murders, which Stuart Ford’s IM Global will launch to buyers at the European Film Market next week, says Variety.

Directed by Brian Henson (A Muppets Christmas Carol) and penned by Todd Berger (Kung Fu Panda 2) from a story he wrote with Dee Austin Robertson, “the pic takes place in a world where puppets and humans live together, but the puppets are viewed as second-class citizens. When the puppet cast of an 1980s kids TV show gets murdered one by one, a disgraced detective-turned-private eye puppet takes on the case.

The film noir puppet comedy has been in development at the Henson Co. since 2008. READ MORE

Confirmed: Full Cast To Hunt Down The Mythical ‘Riddick’

RiddickYo20212 Confirmed: Full Cast To Hunt Down The Mythical Riddick

While Vin Diesel shared a new look at himself as the title character Riddick in the R-rated David Twohy-directed sequel to Pitch Black, a press release confirms the previous casting scoops reported by Bloody Disgusting months ago.

Riddick also sees the return of Karl Urban (Star Trek) as Vaako and introduces to the series previously announced cast member Jordi Molla as Santana, the arrogant captain of the mercenary ship; Matt Nable (Killer Elite) as Boss Johns, a man looking for answers; Katee Sackhoff (TV’s Battlestar Galactica) as the Nordic mercenary Dahl; and Bokeem Woodbine (Total Recall) as bounty hunter Moss. Rounding out the cast are Dave Bautista (The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption), Conrad Pla (Immortals), Raoul Trujillo (Apocalypto), Nolan Funk (Aliens in America) and two-time Grammy Award-nominated singer Keri Hilson.

The infamous Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he’s encountered. The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty.

The first ship to arrive carries a new breed of merc, more lethal and violent, while the second is captained by a man whose pursuit of Riddick is more personal. With time running out and a storm on the horizon that no one could survive, his hunters won’t leave the planet without Riddick’s head as their trophy.READ MORE

See The Path To Hell From The Set Of ‘Evil Dead’!

 See The Path To Hell From The Set Of Evil Dead!

Here’s the path to hell…

It looks as if we’re truly getting closer to the remake of Evil Dead as reboot writer/director Fede Alvarez just shared a behind-the-scenes look at the woods where the Book fo the Dead awaits. Down this path there’s a cabin, with a book bound in human flesh that will unleash demons here in Earth.

Produced by Sony Pictures, FilmDistrict and Ghost House Pictures, “‘Evil Dead’ deals with five twenty-something friends who become holed up in a remote cabin where they discover a Book Of The Dead and unwittingly summon up dormant demons living in the nearby woods, which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left intact to fight for survival.” There’s a drug component as one of the friends is going through withdrawal.

Deadgirl and Red Riding Hood‘s Shiloh Fernandez landed one of the lead roles with Bruce Campbell already confirmed for a cameo. Oscar winner Diablo Cody cleaned up Alvarez’s screenplay. The remake of Sam Raimi’s classic will arrive in theaters April 12, 2013. READ MORE

Quick Casting Bits: ‘Red Machine’ and ‘Vigilandia’

Scott Glenn, Adam Beach, Michaela McManus and Kelly Curran have rounded out the cast of Saw V director David Hackl’s Red Machine, says Variety. Thesps join James Marsden, Piper Perabo, Thomas Jane and Billy Bob Thornton in the film from Indomitable Entertainment and Paul Schiff Prods. “The pic centers around two estranged brothers (Marsden, Jane) who reconcile on a camping trip with their girlfriends. Once in the remote wilderness, however, things go horribly awry when they are attacked and relentlessly stalked by a horrifying grizzly bear — the Red Machine.

Deadline adds that Edwin Hodge (All the Boys Love Mandy Lane) will star opposite Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey in Universal’s upcoming Vigilandia. James DeMonaco is writing and directing the sci-fi thriller that we’re told IS in fact horror based. Michael Bay, Platinum Dunes, and Blumhouse Productions are producing the feature that begins shooting next week in Los Angeles. READ MORE

Shiloh Fernandez Will Read From The Book Of The Dead In ‘Evil Dead’!

Red Riding Hood and Deadgirl star Shiloh Fernandez (pictured below) has now become the first official cast member (after the departure of Lily Collins) in FilmDistrict and Mandate’s Evil Dead reboot.

Per Variety, “The ‘Evil Dead’ role was highly sought after by young actors. Though the plot is similar to the original, the idea is a new take, this time without the character of Ash.

Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell will produce through Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures banner. The project was announced in November in a worldwide deal (excluding the U.K. and France) between Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions, FilmDistrict and Ghost House Pictures. Sony Pictures will distribute.

Now that the male lead is set, the search is on for the female lead, as Lily Collins fell out after scheduling conflicts.

Interestingly, the article also mentions Fernandez will likely shoot Evil Dead after he completes Deep Powder. Does this mean the reboot is going to be pushed back a month or two? READ MORE

Viola Davis Lands Lead Role In Warners ‘Beautiful Creatures’ Adaptation

Back in November we reported exclusively that Alcon Entertainment has finally begun casting up for Beautiful Creatures, which will still put Richard LaGravenese behind the camera after nearly two years of development.

Variety reports that The Help‘s Viola Davis is the first to be cast.

The first of a five-novel series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. In the first book, high-school student Ethan Wate meets and becomes bewitched by Lena Duchannes, a 16-year-old whose family has moved to the small South Carolina town where he lives. The two must confront a curse that has haunted her family for generations as she comes to grips with her powers.

Davis plays a librarian and friend of the teenage boy’s deceased mother who loves the boy like a son and will do whatever in her power to protect him.

Shooting is slated for April. Warner Bros. will still distribute. READ MORE

Octavia Spencer Joins Revolt On ‘Snow Piercer’

Hot off her SAG win for best supporting actress, The Help‘s Octavia Spencer has joined the cast of Snow Piercer, the high-profile sci-fi indie project being directed by Bong Joon-Ho, reports THR.

Chris Evans, John Hurt and Tilda Swinton already are on board, as is Korean actor Kang Ho Song, who starred in Joon-Ho’s international breakthrough, the Korean monster movie The Host.

‘Snow Piercer,’ which Joon-Ho co-scripted, is set in a future where, after a failed experiment to stop global warming, an Ice Age kills off all life on the planet except for the inhabitants of the Snow Piercer, a train that travels around the globe and is powered by a sacred perpetual-motion engine. A class system evolves on the train but a revolution brews.

Spencer plays a passenger on the train who joins the revolt in order to save her son.

Chan Wook-Park and Dooho Choi are producing. Kelly Masterson wrote the most recent draft for this adaptation of the 1970s French graphic novel “Le Transperceneige.” READ MORE

Grizzly ‘Red Machine’ Has More Prey

The big bear will have a few more picking for dinner as Piper Perabo (pictured below) will star opposite Billy Bob Thorton, James Marsden and Thomas Jane in director David Hackl’s thriller Red Machine, reports Deadline.

The star of The Prestige and Looper will play a deaf photographer who is engaged to Beckett (Jane), whom she met during the Iraq War. The story revolves around two estranged brothers (Jane, Marsden) and their girlfriends (Perabo and an actress yet to be cast) who go camping in the Alaskan wilderness. An erratic grizzly relentlessly stalks the two couples, who are forced to rely on their own senses and skills to survive.

Rick Cleveland and J.R. Reher wrote Red Machine, which Tai Duncan, Dominic Ianno, Stuart Pollack, Hadeel Reda, Paul Schiff, and David Valleau will produce. Shooting begins this month in Vancouver. READ MORE

Platinum Dunes’ Sci-Fi Horror ‘Vigilandia’ Casts Up

Max Burkholder, the 14-year-old actor who plays Max Braverman in NBC’s “Parenthood,” has been offered the role of Charlie in Universal’s sci-fi thriller Vigilandia, TheWrap has learned. Also, Adelaide Kane (pictured below), an Australian actress who has appeared in “Power Rangers R.P.M.” and “Neighbors,” has landed the role of Zoey.

Ethan Hawke stars, along with Lena Headey, who plays Cersei Lannister on “Game of Thrones.”

James DeMonaco wrote and is directing the movie. DeMonaco previously worked on Assault on Precinct 13, starring Hawke and Laurence Fishburne. He also is the creator/executive producer of Spike TV’s mini-series “The Kill Point.”

Jason Blum, Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form are producing through Blum’s Blumhouse and Bay’s Platinum Dunes. Why Not Productions also is producing.

Details of the story remain under wraps, although Bloody confirmed it IS horror. The movie is set to begin shooting on February 13. READ MORE

J. Larose Becomes A “Major” Player In The Devil’s Carnival!

LaroseMayorLand13112 J. Larose Becomes A Major Player In The Devils Carnival!

Seriously, this movie is only going to be 45 minutes long, right? So is it just going to be a bunch of people introducing themselves? We’ll see! Darren Lynn Bousman’s The Devil’s Carnival wrapped shooting a few weeks back but is still making casting announcements. It’s like the Tupac of wrapped movies.

Fans on the official site’s forums already know that the cast now consists of Repo! The Genetic Opera co-creator Terrance Zdunich, as well as Repo! stars Alexa Vega, Ogre (from Skinny Puppy) and Paul Sorvino. Emilie Autumn, Sean Patrick Flanery, Bill Moseley, Briana Evigan, Marc Senter, Slipknot’s “The Clown” and Ivan Moody (from Five Finger Death Punch) are part of the cast also.

Dread Central is now reporting that J. Larose participated in shooting the film as well. He plays a character called “The Major“.

Hit the jump to check out the character poster! READ MORE

Ivan Moody Hops Onto ‘The Devil’s Carnival’ As “The Hobo Clown”!

HoboClownLand12512 Ivan Moody Hops Onto The Devils Carnival As The Hobo Clown!

Darren Lynn Bousman’s The Devil’s Carnival just wrapped shooting last week. Fans on the official site’s forums already know that the cast now consists of Repo! The Genetic Opera co-creator Terrance Zdunich, as well as Repo! stars Alexa Vega, Ogre (from Skinny Puppy) and Paul Sorvino. Emilie Autumn, Sean Patrick Flanery, Bill Moseley, Briana Evigan, and Marc Senter have all joined the cast as well.

A few days ago we brought you the update that Slipknot’s “The Clown” had been brought in as a character called “The Tamer”. Now, we can report that Five Finger Death Punch singer Ivan Moody plays “The Hobo Clown” in the film.

Hit the jump to check out the character poster! READ MORE

Lily Collins Drops Out Of ‘The Evil Dead’, Who Should Take Her Place?

LilyCollinsLeavesEvilDead12412 Lily Collins Drops Out Of The Evil Dead, Who Should Take Her Place?

Lily Collins (The Blind Side, Priest, Mirror Mirror) has just dropped out of playing the lead role of “Mia” in Ghost House/Mandate Pictures remake of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead.

Jeff Sneider of Variety attributes it to “scheduling issues“. While it’s nice to have our scoop confirmed that she was indeed hired for the role – her departure now leads a big void. After all, she’s playing the hero – the remake’s equivalent of “Ash”.

In this version, the story centers on five friends (David, Natalie, Eric, Olivia, and Mia) holed up at a remote cabin where they discover a Book of the Dead with a demonic force unleashed possessing each until only one is left to fight for survival. As we also exclusively reported, there is a drug subplot.

I’ve read the script, and “Mia” is a good, meaty, role for a young actress. It’s not as one-note and comic as the character of “Ash”, but it’s got lots of cool layers and should be very physically demanding.

With that in mind, who do you think should replace her?

Fede Alvarez directs the redo of Sam Raimi’s cult classic 1981 The Evil Dead from his own screenplay co-written with Rodo Sayagues. Revisions were done by Oscar-winning writer Diablo Cody. It’s scheduled for release on April 12th, 2013. READ MORE

Slipknot’s The Clown Right At Home In ‘The Devil’s Carnival’

DevilClownLandscape12312 Slipknots The Clown Right At Home In The Devils Carnival

Darren Lynn Bousman’s The Devil’s Carnival just wrapped shooting last week. Fans on the official site’s forums already know that the cast now consists of Repo! The Genetic Opera co-creator Terrance Zdunich, as well as Repo! stars Alexa Vega, Ogre (from Skinny Puppy) and Paul Sorvino. The members also state that Emilie Autumn and Sean Patrick Flanery have also joined previously announced Bill Moseley and Briana Evigan and Marc Senter.

And know we know that Slipknot’s The Clown is playing the part of “The Tamer”. He took to their official site to make the following announcement.

Hey everybody, what’s up. I am driving back from Denver right now with my children because I have been in California for the last couple weeks and that’s why you have not heard from me at all. Reason being I was invited to partake in my very first acting role. I am very honored to have been asked to be a part of this project. The project is called “The Devil’s Carnival”. I play a Character called the tamer. And let me tell you, there is a little Tamer in all of us. It’s always been a dream and a goal for me to try and act in something that is filmed besides music videos. I am very honored to have the opportunity to have worked with so many talented actors and people who are involved in making this production come to life.

Hit the jump to check it out his character sheet! READ MORE

First Pictures And Synopsis From ‘The Culling’!

CullingLand12312 First Pictures And Synopsis From The Culling!

We have some pics and the first official synopsis from the new Rustam Branaman film The Culling, which recently wrapped production in New Orleans.

“Five friends head out of town for road trip to a summer concert. A change of plans arise as they find a seven-year-old girl left alone in a parking, leaving them no choice but to find her parents. The little girl’s house is well out of the way and secluded. When they arrive at her house it’s quickly apparent they will have to stay for the night. What is not is foreseen is the evil nightmare they are about to encounter.”

Jeremy Sumpter (Frailty, Soul Surfer), Brett Davern (Case 219), Elizabeth DiPrinzio (The Devil Within), Chris Coy (Hostel: Part III, “True Blood”), Lindsey Godfrey (The House Bunny), Virginia Williams, Jonathan Schaech (ChromeSkull, Laid to Rest, Prom Night) and Harley Graham (Thor) all star.

Hit the jump for the pics! READ MORE

Almost Unrecognizable Scout Taylor-Compton In ’7500′

7500ScoutLand12112 Almost Unrecognizable Scout Taylor Compton In 7500

A few days ago we posted a still from 7500 that was sourced from the print edition of Entertainment Weekly. Turns out they had cropped Scout Taylor-Compton (Rob Zombie’s Halloween and Halloween 2) from the image, but the web edition of the magazine has the full still. And she doesn’t look quite the same, to be sure.

Ryan Kwanten, Amy Smart, Leslie Bibb, Jamie Chung, Nicky Whelan, Johnathon Schaech, Christian Serratos, Scout Taylor-Compton, Jerry Ferrara and Alex Frost all star in the film.

Kwanten and Smart co-star as married couple Brad and Pia Martin, who board Vista Pacific Flight 7500 with their two longtime friends for a trip to Japan. Bibb is set to play Laura Baxter, a stewardess on the transpacific liner, who is involved in a complicated and secret relationship.

I was on the set of this film back in November so you can expect a full report closer to release date. In the meantime, hit the jump for the full pic!

7500 takes off August 31, 2012. READ MORE

New Still From ’7500′ More Coach Than First Class

 New Still From 7500 More Coach Than First Class

We’re getting a fresh look inside the cabin of The Grudge‘s Takashi Shimizu’s supernatural thriller 7500. Ryan Kwanten, Amy Smart, Leslie Bibb, Jamie Chung, Nicky Whelan, Johnathon Schaech, Christian Serratos, Scout Taylor-Compton, Jerry Ferrara and Alex Frost all star in the film.

Entertainment Weekly landed the pic, which I have to say looks kind of nondescript. It doesn’t exactly strike fear into my heart. We’ll see how things shake out when the film is released though.

Kwanten and Smart co-star as married couple Brad and Pia Martin, who board Vista Pacific Flight 7500 with their two longtime friends for a trip to Japan. Bibb is set to play Laura Baxter, a stewardess on the transpacific liner, who is involved in a complicated and secret relationship.

Hit the jump to check out the pic!

7500 takes off August 31, 2012. READ MORE

‘The Devil’s Carnival’ Reveals More Character Artwork And Cast Updates

ScorpionLand11912 The Devils Carnival Reveals More Character Artwork And Cast Updates

Darren Lynn Bousman’s The Devil’s Carnivaljust wrapped shooting early Wednesday morning. fans on the official site’s forums already know that the cast now consists of Repo! The Genetic Opera co-creator Terrance Zdunich, as well as Repo! stars Alexa Vega, Ogre (from Skinny Puppy) and Paul Sorvino. The members also state that Emilie Autumn and Sean Patrick Flanery have also joined previously announced Bill Moseley and Briana Evigan.

Now we have reports that Marc Senter did indeed join the cast. And, alas, it turns out that Taryn Manning will not be appearing in the film.

Below, we have new character artwork for Senter’s character, “the Scorpion”.

Hit the jump to check it out! READ MORE

Andrea Osvart Rattled In ‘Aftershock’ Role

Andrea Osvart is set to star in the indie thriller Aftershock, set during the aftermath of the 2010 Chilean earthquake, reports Variety.

Nicolas Lopez is helming the pic with Eli Roth and Brian Oliver producing. Lopez hails from Chile, and the film is set during the aftermath of the February 27, 2010 Chilean earthquake that hit 8.8 on the Richter scale, created a tsunami and claimed the lives of more than 480 in one terrifying event.

Other than the film’s setting, plot details are being kept under wraps.

Guillermo Armoedo is penning the script with production expected to start sometime this spring. READ MORE

TV: Typecast Vamp Cast as Vamp in ‘True Blood’

If you’re going to add a vamp to the “True Blood” cast, why not look to the best fang-based franchise out there, Twilight? I’m obviously joking, but you still have to wonder if HBO purposely cast Twilight thesp Christopher Heyerdahl in yet another vampire role. That’s typecasting to the extreme, and frankly, a bit lazy.

Deadline reports that Heyerdahl is joining HBO’s hit vampire drama in a recurring role. He will portray Dieter Braun, an ancient, powerful vampire who plays a large part in the intelligence of the Authority and especially enjoys enhanced interrogation. That is familiar territory for Sanctuary alum Heyerdahl who played the ancient Volturi vampire Marcus in 3 of the Twilight movies: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and the upcoming Part 2. Additionally, he played a demon in an arc on the CW’s “Supernatural.” READ MORE

‘The Devil’s Carnival’ Cast Revealing Themselves

devilcarnticket011712 The Devils Carnival Cast Revealing Themselves

Update: Check out vids on Flanery’s Twitter page too!

Those of you trolling the forums for Darren Lynn Bousman’s The Devil’s Carnival will have found speculation that the cast now consists of Repo! The Genetic Opera co-creator Terrance Zdunich, as well as Repo! stars Alexa Vega, Ogre (from Skinny Puppy) and Paul Sorvino. The members also state that Emilie Autumn and Sean Patrick Flanery have also joined previously announced Taryn Manning, Bill Moseley and Briana Evigan.

Bousman, who directed Repo!, Mother’s Day, Saw II-IV and The Barrens, wraps production today on the 45-minute experimental short about a carnival run by the devil.

The forum also was hiding a slew of banners (on display below) and behind-the-scenes imagery. There are also those who propose the short takes place in a 1930′s-themed hell, which is pretty rad. READ MORE

TV: Jessica Lange Teases Potential Return To ‘American Horror Story’

lanf011612 TV: Jessica Lange Teases Potential Return To American Horror Story

TV Line reports from the ridiculously boring Golden Globes where Jessica Lange teased that she will be among the “two or three” cast members returning for “American Horror Story” Season 2 next fall.

Yes, we are considering a second season,” the actress shared backstage at the Globes. “Nothing is definite yet.

As for who else might return for an encore, Lange said, “That’s going to be entirely up to [the producers]. I know that everybody that is returning will be playing a different character.

“AHS” co-creator Ryan Murphy has previously stated that Season 2 will be “radically different” from Season 1, serving up a new setting/locale and a (mostly) new cast. As for who won’t be back, he only ruled out returns by Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton.

The second season will open up the FX series as an “anthology”. READ MORE

Jonny Lee MIller Joins Vampire Flick ‘Byzantium’

The Daily Mail is reporting some addition casting for Neil Jordan’s now-filming sci-fi thriller Byzantium.

Both Jonny Lee Miller (“Dexter”, Hackers, Dark Shadows) and Tom Hollander (Pirates of the Caribbean) will join Gemma Arterton, Saoirse Ronan, Caleb Landry Jones, Danny Mays, Bradley James, and Sam Riley in the vampire flick where Arterton stars as Clara, a vampire who has to protect herself and her daughter (played by Saoirse Ronan) from those seeking to plunge a stake through their hearts.

Here’s the official plot crunch: “Two young women arrive in a nameless British small town. Their names are not their own. They don’t declare their ages. Their relationship with each other is not clear. Are they sisters, as their assumed identities declare? Or are they mother and daughter? The eldest, Claire, takes a job in a pub. The youngest, Eleanor, goes to school.

During a truth exercise in her drama class, Eleanor confesses that she has been alive for over two hundred years and has survived by drinking human blood. Her classmates think she is utterly crazy and Mint, her teacher, puts her in touch with the school counsellor. She makes one friend, Frank, a boy who has been home educated and is as much of an oddity as Eleanor. He tries to get to the bottom of her vampire delusion, thinking it an epic and compelling psychosis. Why would anyone want to be undead?READ MORE

Briana Evigan Sings For ‘The Devil’s Carnival’

 Briana Evigan Sings For The Devils Carnival

Step Up 2, Burning Bright and Sorority Row star Briana Evigan (pictured in the below sizzling photo) reveals on Twitter that she is the latest big name to join the now-filming The Devil’s Carnival, the latest genre offering from Repo! The Genetic Opera, Saw II-IV, Mother’s Day and The Barrens director Darren Lynn Bousman. Evigan also starred in Bousman’s episode of “Fear Itself” entitled” New Year’s Day”.

She joins Taryn Manning and horror icon Bill Moseley, who can also be seen in Bousman’s Repo! The Genetic Opera, as well as horror classics Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Army of Darkness House of 1,000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects.

The Devil’s Carnival is a 45-minute experimental short about a carnival run by the devil. There will be singing and dancing, much like Bousman’s Repo!. The genre mash-up was teased the other week with a new website alongside a lengthy video. READ MORE

Exclusive

Dee Wallace ‘Unhallowed’ By Loss Of Son

Gregori J. Martin (The Intruders, Raven) is getting behind the camera for Unhallowed, which shoots February in Los Angeles and New York.

Bloody Disgusting exclusively learned that Dee Wallace (Cujo, The Howling, Critters, ET) stars alongside Kristos Andrews, Gabrielle Stone and Miriam Colon (who is still in talks).

Hoping to capitalize on the success of The Devil Inside, Martin’s latest is in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist. It follows a family who loses their son and seeks guidance from a spiritual healer of whom many believe to be the reincarnation of Luke (from the Bible). Supernatural forces take over. Chaos ensues. READ MORE