Movies
Could the ‘Dredd’ Producer Save the ‘Castlevania’ Franchise?
I dig Adi Shankar, who for one reason or another dons The Crow makeup on a daily basis. He’s very vocal about the business, things he’s developing, and keeps fans in the know of everything related to the films he’s working on.
Shankar, who produced The Grey, Dredd and the upcoming I Saw the Devil is hoping to save the long-gestured Castlevania franchise, which once had James Wan attached to direct. Only, this video game adaptation would be animated for online consumption.
The A.V. Club says Shankar has partnered with “Adventure Time’s” Frederator Studios(!) on the “super violent” series.
Now, it sounds like Frederator has cagily confirmed that this Castlevania cartoon is really happening. Speaking with Nickelodeon’s official Nick Animation Podcast (via Bleeding Cool), Fred Seibert (the “Fred” in Frederator) explained that his team is working on an “unnamed” project based on “one of the most world-famous video games of the last 30 years.” He said they’ve had the rights to this unnamed game for 12 years and haven’t been able to work on it, but—perhaps due to the upcoming end of Adventure Time—they’re now able to get it going.
The site notes that he doesn’t specifically say he’s talking about Castlevania, but the series did just have its 30th birthday in September.
Zazie Beetz must fight her way through a New York City high-rise serving as a temple to Satan in They Will Kill You, and it’s officially set to make its global streaming debut next week.
They Will Kill You begins streaming exclusively on HBO Max on Friday, June 12. The film will debut on HBO linear on June 13 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Beetz leads the cast as Asia, who must survive the night at the Virgil, a demonic cult’s mysterious and twisted death-trap of a lair, before becoming their next offering. Patricia Arquette, Myha’La, Paterson Joseph, Tom Felton, and Heather Graham also star.
Kirill Sokolov (Why Don’t You Just Die!) directs from a script he co-wrote with Alex Litvak (Predators).
IT filmmaker Andy Muschietti produces alongside Barbara Muschietti and Dan Kagan. Executive producers include Sokolov, Litvak, Russell Ackerman, John Schoenfelder, and Carl Hampe.
The raucous action horror comedy delivers on blood-splattery fun, but was overshadowed by high profile sequel Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. It’s worth a watch for the talented cast, who commit to Sokolov’s zany action horror beats, include a rogue eyeball.
I wrote in my SXSW review, “Sokolov’s striking composition, dedication to carnage-fueled stunts and fight choreography, and an all-too-game cast anchored by a dedicated and fierce Zazie Beetz prevent this slight but energetic crowd-pleaser from careening off the rails.” And, “it’s so brazen and unabashed in its pursuit of cinematic thrills and splatstick chills that it succeeds in its aim, which is to deliver a riotously great time at the theater.”
More of a physical media fan? On June 30, 2026, They Will Kill You will be available to own on 4K UHD™, Blu-ray™, and DVD from online and physical retailers.
New Line Cinema/Nocturna’s “They Will Kill You,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
You must be logged in to post a comment.