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Lutz Family’s Amityville Enterprises Fighting to Rescue ‘Amityville Horror’ Franchise from Weinstein Sale

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The most recent film in the officially licensed Amityville Horror franchise, Dimension Films’ Amityville: The Awakening, was dumped to VOD late last year, and the opening credits notably scrubbed disgraced slimeball producer Harvey Weinstein from the proceedings. At that time, Weinstein’s vile behavior had only just been made public, and Dimension understandably wanted to distance the film from any and all (visible) connections to its monstrous producer. But it’s because of Weinstein’s behavior that the future of the Amityville franchise now hangs in the balance.

In the wake of countless allegations, the Weinstein Co. and its Dimension Films are on the chopping block, the assets likely to be sold off in a bankruptcy sale. Those assets include the aforementioned Amityville Horror franchise… right? Well, maybe not.

As outlined by Deadline, it may actually be the Lutz family (whose alleged experiences inside the 112 Ocean Avenue home resulted in the creation of the franchise) and their Amityville Enterprises who are currently at the helm of the Amityville property, as they signed a movie/TV deal with Dimension that actually may have expired on February 8, a month *before* the Weinstein Co. filed for bankruptcy. Because of this, the company “has filed legal documents asking the bankruptcy court judge to withdraw the option rights from the court-supervised sale of the company’s assets.”

This particular agreement was inked in 2011, granting the Weinstein Co. “the option of a sequel, which is to commence filming within 36 months of the initial commercial release of Amityville: The Awakening or 45 months after completion of principal photography — whichever is earlier.” The Lutz family argues, “the clock should start with the filming of Amityville: The Awakening — meaning The Weinstein Co.’s rights expired on February 9.

To make a long story short, the Lutz family is fighting to ensure that the rights to the Amityville Horror franchise are *not* sold off in the impending Weinstein Co. sale.

Like Friday the 13th, the Amityville Horror rights are needless to say a mess right now.

Writer in the horror community since 2008. Editor in Chief of Bloody Disgusting. Owns Eli Roth's prop corpse from Piranha 3D. Has four awesome cats. Still plays with toys.

Movies

‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ Adds “Chucky” Actor Teo Briones and More to Lead Cast

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Chucky Actor Teo Briones
Pictured: Teo Briones in "Chucky" Season Two

The Final Destination franchise is returning to life with Final Destination: Bloodlines. With filming now underway, THR reports that three actors have joined the lead cast, including “Chucky” actor Teo Briones.

Brec Bassinger (“Stargirl”) and Kaitlyn Santa Juana (The Friendship Game) join Teo Briones, who played Junior Wheeler in season two of “Chucky,” as the leads in the sixth installment of the horror franchise.

Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein (Freaks) are directing the fresh installment that also includes Richard Harmon (“The 100”, Grave Encounters 2), Anna Lore, Owen Patrick Joyner, Max Lloyd-Jones (The Book Of Boba Fett), Rya Kihlstedt (Obi Wan Kenobi), and Tinpo Lee (The Manor) among the cast.

Production is now underway in Vancouver.

What can we expect from the upcoming Final Destination 6? Speaking with Collider, franchise creator Jeffrey Reddick offered up an intriguing (and mysterious) tease last year.

“This film dives into the film in such a unique way that it attacks it from a different angle so you don’t feel like, ‘Oh, there’s an amazing setup and then there’s gonna be one wrinkle that can potentially save you all that you have to kind of make a moral choice about or do to solve it.’ There’s an expansion of the universe that – I’m being so careful,” Reddick teased.

Reddick continued, “It kind of unearths a whole deep layer to the story that kind of, yes, makes it really, really interesting.”

Final Destination: Bloodlines is written by Lori Evans Taylor (“Wicked Wicked Games”) and Guy Busick (Scream), with Jon Watts (Spider-Man: No Way Home) producing.

Producers on the new movie for New Line Cinema also include Dianne McGunigle (Cop Car) as well as Final Destination producers Craig Perry and Sheila Hanahan Taylor.

This will be the sixth installment in the hit franchise, and the first in over ten years. Each film centers on “Death” hunting down young friends who survive a mass casualty event.

The latest entry is expected in 2025, coinciding with the original film’s 25th anniversary.

 

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