Movies
Johannes Roberts Directing the ‘Resident Evil’ Reboot!
Get. Excited.
Constantin Film has hired a director to reboot the Resident Evil franchise and it’s definitely someone who can return it to its horror roots.
Johannes Roberts, director of the excellent 47 Meters Down and this year’s underrated The Strangers: Prey at Night, will be both writing and getting behind the camera for the next incarnation of the Resident Evil films, says Variety.
Based on the classic video game, the franchise followed Alice, played by Milla Jovovich, as she fights not only the zombies terrorizing Raccoon City after an experiment gone wrong, but the evil Umbrella Corp., which is the cause of the disastrous state. While these films began as horror, they devolved into action and sci-fi.
Just a week ago, screenwriter Greg Russo talked about the first draft of the screenplay, which he promised would return to the game’s horror roots.
“Obviously, I’m a huge fan of the franchise so to work on that was a lot of fun,” said Russo. “For me it was very clear-cut that I wanted to go back and make it scary again like a horror film in terms of the classic James Wan-style so that was the pitch, going back and looking what made the games scary in the first place so yea Resident Evil 7 was a bit of a touchstone for my draft.”
Two years ago, James Wan (Insidious, Conjuring, Aquaman, Saw) and his Atomic Monster were attached to produce, although there’s no mention of either in this announcement. It’s possible they are no longer involved.
No matter, production is set to take place in 2019. They’re moving at a lightning pace and we’re expecting the new one to be scary or bust.
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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