Movies
‘StarDream’ Turns to A.I. Horror With a Blend of ‘2001’ and ‘Alien’
Alien: Covenant ends with an android hijacking a ship filled with cryogenically frozen humans hoping to colonize another planet. In Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: Space Odyssey, a computer AI known as HAL (the HAL 9000) also hijacks a ship and turns on its crew. This seems to be some of the inspiration behind the forthcoming sci-fi thriller StarDream.
Swedish director Björn Runge, whose most recent feature The Wife saw its star Glenn Close win best dramatic actress at last night’s Golden Globes, has boarded the sci-fi feature, reports ScreenDaily.
“The plot sees hundreds of thousands of humans cryogenically stowed aboard the StarDream, a spaceship rapidly constructed to escape our failing Earth and endure the mission to a distant planet identified as capable of supporting human life. When the on-board computer malfunctions, the command team develop a solution – an AI they call Stephen. But Stephen develops a profound attachment to Andreya, his creator, and the future of the human race is compromised.”
The script is from the UK’s Felix Harrison (who topped the 2016 Brit List for his previous script, Far Edge Of The World), with Silver Reel’s Claudia Bluemhuber and Bigscope Films’ Jason Newmark and Laurie Cook co-producing.
Alongside Bluemhuber, Runge’s other The Wifecolleagues to join StarDream include director of photography Ulf Bråntas, editor Lena Runge and co-producer Georgia Bayliff.
StarDream is set for a summer shoot in the UK and is now casting the lead roles.
In the wake of Backrooms and Obsession, everyone is prowling YouTube for horror shorts to adapt and horror filmmakers to scoop up, so don’t be surprised to see a whole bunch of upcoming articles about YouTube success stories crossing over into theaters. One horror short that’s already been picked up for expansion is Dolly director Rod Blackhurst’s Alone Time.
The 12-minute short was uploaded in 2014 and has amassed nearly 2 million views at the time of this article being written, and Deadline reports that it’s getting a feature adaptation.
Witchcraft Motion Picture Company & Fever Dream will turn the viral short into a feature film.
Alone Time follows Ann Saunders, a young NY professional whose carefully constructed life begins to unravel following a devastating personal loss. “Seeking refuge from a collapsing relationship, a deteriorating family situation, and mounting emotional trauma, Ann reluctantly joins her closest friend on a remote camping trip deep in the Adirondack wilderness.”
The synopsis continues, “When her friend mysteriously disappears, Ann becomes convinced that an unseen figure is stalking her through the forest. What begins as a survival nightmare slowly transforms into something far more disturbing as fractured memories, conflicting realities, and hidden truths force Ann to confront the possibility that the greatest threat may not be lurking in the woods at all, but buried deep within her own psych.”
“Alone Time has quietly followed me for over a decade,” director Rod Blackhurst said in a statement. “What began as a short film about isolation and the weight of life now feels more relevant than ever. The original short found its audience organically online long before that was considered a legitimate path for filmmakers. Bringing it to life as a feature allows us to explore those themes on a much larger and more psychologically unsettling canvas.”
Blackhurst is directing the feature length expansion.
You can watch the original Alone Time short film below.