Movies
Shane Black Could Be Convinced to Do a Sequel to ‘The Monster Squad’
One of my favorite movies from my childhood was The Monster Squad, the film that saw a group of children face off against the Universal Movie Monsters. There was something magical about seeing children take charge when their parents didn’t believe them and ultimately save the day, winning the respect and belief of their elders.
Unfortunately, the movie was a massive flop upon release and only gained a following once it hit home video. Since then, there’s a cult following that has grown over the years that has resulted in a strong love and appreciation for the film, all of which comes as a surprise to writer Shane Black.
He explains to IGN, “The cult surprised [me]. I didn’t even realise it had been successful. I loved it, I had fun working on it and it was one of the first things I’d ever written. And it wasn’t just that it wasn’t a hit – it was a huge failure. No one saw it. I don’t know how on earth it caught on years later.”
This long growing interest is causing people to ask Black if a return might be in order. And while he has his own passion and love for the film, he’s hesitant about how he could make a comeback.
“It would be interesting to have two movies – one The Monster Squad, and one The Monster Squad and they’re 30 years apart and so are the kids; the characters have aged. As long as people understood that’s what we’re doing, I think that could be fun.”
Black does recognize that this approach mirrors the concept of another famed story: Stephen King’s It. He realizes that if a sequel to The Monster Squad were to happen and if the story were to follow the original characters, then there would have to be a way to differentiate the films.
When you say the kids are grown-up the first thing I go to is the movie, or the book really, It by Stephen King, which is about kids who fight monsters when they’re young, then as grown-ups they’re sort of beckoned and they have to return to their childhood hometown. And I think that’s kind of close to what you’re saying in a way. I don’t know how you would distance yourself from that.
It should be said that all of this is speculation and simple banter. None of this means that a sequel is actually going to happen. Right now, Black is focused entirely on The Predator, the fourth film in the Predator franchise that was last visited with 2010’s Predators.
Sunrise Films has announced the official North American release of William Bagley‘s horror comedy Hold the Fort, and it’s accompanied by an energetic new trailer.
Hold the Fort debuts on digital platforms on June 23.
In the film, “Lucas and Jenny think their life is finally coming together when the couple become homeowners. Little do they know that their new house comes with a big catch. Lucas and Jenny soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when they become trapped in a battle between their Homeowners Association and an onslaught of monsters from hell. The horror-comedy takes the timely concern of home-ownership and wraps this up in an entertaining action-packed thrill ride.“
Watch the new trailer below, which introduces one wild HOA gathering during an equinox. Things get bloody fast.
Chris Mayers (Adult Swim Yule Log), Haley Leary (“The Walking Dead”), Levi Burdick, and Julian Smith star.
William Bagley writes and directs, in addition to producing with Smith, Matt Dodd, Luke Williams, and Tim Reis (Adult Swim Yule Log).
Ahead of the release, Bagley said, “My goal with this film was to make a hilarious, fast-paced thrill ride while also telling a great story with heart. Hopefully, through all the blood, laughs, fights, and gags, you leave the film feeling inspired to tackle whatever life throws at you.“
Hold the Fort premiered at Fantasia last summer before going on to play FrightFest London, Toronto After Dark, and Beyond Fest.
I wrote in my review, “It’s an infectiously charming assemblage of jokes and monster vignettes bound together by a barebones plot with not much on its mind beyond delivering an entertaining time.”
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