Exclusives
‘Dorothy: The Haunting of Oz’ Images Reveal Horror Take on ‘The Wizard of Oz’ from Gen Z Filmmaker [Exclusive]
The Wizard of Oz gets a contemporary horror makeover in Dorothy: The Haunting of Oz, and we have your exclusive first look at a batch of stills.
Set on Halloween night in Marin County, California, the film follows a group of college basketball players who are mercilessly preyed on by terrifying manifestations of Dorothy, the Wicked Witch of the West, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and serial killer clowns.
The campus becomes a battlefield as each murder uncovers deeper layers of torment, including haunting visions of the land of Oz. As dark secrets rise to the surface, the students becomes both hunter and hunted, consumed by their own inner demons.
Dorothy: The Haunting of Oz marks the feature debut of 22-year-old writer-director Elijah J. Alvarez, who also produces via his newly launched Buddy Pictures.
Blending elements of psychological thriller, supernatural slasher, coming of age, and science fiction, the film explores the importance of self identity, cycles of trauma, and the power of myth.
Michael Sullivan, Logan Laurel, Heidi Appe, Melissa Foster, Aaron Byrd, Rocky Velasco, Angela Michaela, Yvonne Orozco, and Ava Barone star.
“Dorothy: The Haunting of Oz showcases the real Gen Z student athlete experience in a way most contemporary horror films haven’t done yet,” Alvarez tells Bloody Disgusting. “The way Get Out and Sinners used genre to push it forward hugely inspired this film, and I cannot wait for audiences to watch this genre-bending coming-of-age horror film.”
Currently in post-production, Dorothy: The Haunting of Oz is due out in 2026.
Exclusives
‘The Haunting of Pennhurst’ Exclusive Clip Trains Scare Actors For Historic Haunt in Tribeca Doc
The past and present collide in haunting, poignant ways in the genre documentary The Haunting of Pennhurst, which sees a Halloween haunt serve as a reclamation of true historic horrors.
Ahead of its world premiere at the 25th Tribeca Film Festival, we have an exclusive clip that sees scare actors in training for the Halloween season. The catch? This haunt is opening at the historic Pennhurst State School & Hospital site, a facility that caused immense harm to its disabled patients over decades of its operation.
In the documentary, “For over seventy years, Pennhurst State School & Hospital was called a place of care. What happened inside killed over half its population. It closed in 1987, leaving behind unmarked graves and an unresolved history. Today, on those same grounds, disabled performers – many living with the same conditions that once sent people to Pennhurst – put on their makeup, pull on their costumes, and prepare to scare people for a living.
“Through grit, compassion, and buckets of blood, the eclectic performers of the Pennhurst Asylum haunted attraction are wrestling with a space that is at once a lucrative business and a gravesite.”
The upcoming documentary hails from directing trio Nathan Stenberg, Mike Attie, and Katarina Poljak, who explore their socially-relevant subject through archival footage, first-hand accounts, and an immersive verité.
“Pennhurst has haunted us since we first passed through its dragon-tooth gates; the horrors of the institution echo through the site today. We are so grateful to bring this film to the Tribeca Festival, particularly the Escape from Tribeca section, which feels right for a story where past and present bleed together. We hope audiences leave unnerved and asking the same uncomfortable questions we did,” Attie, Stenberg, and Poljak said in a statement.
Watch the clip below that sees disabled and neurodivergent scare actors learning the ropes of a Halloween haunt, reclaiming the site’s grim history in the process.
Tribeca Screenings:
- Public 1 (Premiere) Screening – Friday, June 5 at 9:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 2 Screening – Sunday, June 7 at 3:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 3 Screening – Tuesday, June 9 at 6:15PM at Village East by Angelika
You must be logged in to post a comment.