Exclusives
Universal Getting ‘Unfriended’ Once Again (Exclusive)
Blumhouse acquired Levan (Leo) Gabriadze’s Cybernatural out of the Fantasia Film Festival last July. Two weekends ago, the techno-thriller was released through Universal Pictures as Unfriended, and has since pulled in an estimated $25M here in the States. It’s a tremendous success when you consider that it’s a single location micro-indie, told entirely from a young girl’s computer desktop, and cost next to nothing to make.
With that, Bloody Disgusting exclusively learned that an Unfriended sequel is already in the works – in fact, we’re told it’s already being scripted by Nelson Greaves, who wrote the first film that was produced by Timur Bekmambetov.
Three of Bloody’s writers enjoyed the found-footage thriller quite a bit – here’s all three Unfriended reviews: review #1, #2, #3.
Shelley Hennig, Moses Storm, Renee Olstead, Will Peltz, Jacob Wysocki, Courtney Halverson and Heather Sossaman all star in the debut film: “While video chatting one night, six high school friends receive a Skype message from a classmate who killed herself exactly one year ago. At first they think it’s a prank, but when the girl starts revealing the friends’ darkest secrets, they realize they are dealing with something from beyong this world, something that wants them dead.”
Out today in select theaters and on digital platforms is heartfelt and playful documentary Mockbuster, which sees a director cold call a studio and ask to helm a lost-world dinosaur epic.
Inexplicably, they say yes.
Our exclusive clip below highlights both the comedic nature of this bizarre scenario as well as the pressures of shooting dino feature The Land That Time Forgot in a mere six days, with no real feature experience.
A dino attack scene causes friction on set in this scene.
In the documentary, “A struggling filmmaker’s opportunity collides with chaos and compromise when Sharknado’s notorious studio, The Asylum, invites him to direct a ‘mockbuster.’ With six days, a micro budget, and mounting pressure, Mockbuster is a comedic, behind-the-scenes documentary exploring the balance between low-budget filmmaking and creative ambition.”
More than just an inside look at filmmaking via low-budget film studio The Asylum, it doubles as one man’s pursuit of his dreams to charming, humorous effect.
“Mockbuster is a documentary about my own journey, but it’s also a love letter to one of the last grindhouses still functioning in Hollywood. We get to meet the characters and creators of some of the most infamous (and most hated) B-movies of the last few decades. People who make movies purely for profit – no pretension, no artistry, just monsters, C-listers, and chaos. A film that both genre fans and cinephiles can enjoy. But Mockbuster isn’t just about filmmaking, it’s about losing sight of your dreams, and reclaiming them in your own twisted way,” Director Anthony Frith said in a statement.
From Executive Producer and famed documentarian David Farrier, Mockbuster opens in select theaters and on digital platforms beginning July 10.