Movies

‘Companion’ – Rupert Friend Joins Sci-fi Horror Movie from ‘Barbarian’ Team

Published

10 months ago

June 20, 2023

The latest to join the cast of upcoming sci-fi/horror Companion for New Line Cinema is Rupert Friend (Separation, “Obi-Wan Kenobi”), Deadline reports today.

Friend joins previously announced cast members Sophie Thatcher (“Yellowjackets,” The Boogeyman), Harvey Guillén (“What We Do in the Shadows”), Lukas Gage (“You”), Megan Suri (It Lives Inside), and Jack Quaid (Scream, “The Boys”).

Announced back in February, Barbarian director Zach Cregger is producing Companion for New Line Cinema. Described as a sci-fi/horror movie, Companion will mark the directorial debut of Drew Hancock, who also wrote the script.

At this time, plot details remain under wraps.

Rupert Friend most recently starred in William Brent Bell’s 2021 horror movie Separation, pictured above, as Jeff, the single father struggling to piece together a new life for daughter Jenny (Violet McGraw) when the puppets from his comics seem to take on a life of their own. The actor can currently be seen in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City and is slated to appear next in 2024 action feature Canary Black.

Hancock previously wrote for comedy series “Suburgatory,” “Faking It,” and “My Dead Ex.” Will the filmmaker follow Cregger’s footsteps and go full throttle on horror or inject comedy into the mix?

Deadline reports that “New Line acquired Companion in a competitive situation following the multi-studio bidding war for Barbarian filmmaker Zach Cregger’s new horror Weapons, which Cregger is producing alongside Vertigo’s Roy Lee and BoulderLight’s Raphael Margules & J.D. Lifshitz, as well as Miri Yoon. BoulderLight’s Tracy Rosenblum and Vertigo’s Andrew Childs will executive produce.

On a related note, New Line just linked up with BoulderLight Pictures to have the Barbarian producers develop “high concept” genre movies for the studio, signing a first-look deal with the company. Their hope is that the Barbarian team will be part of a new wave of genre entertainment for New Line, so expect to hear a lot more from BoulderLight this year.

Movies

Jessica Rothe Keeps the Hope Alive for Third ‘Happy Death Day’ Movie

Published

14 hours ago

April 26, 2024

John Squires

It’s now been five years since the release of sequel Happy Death Day 2U, Christopher Landon’s sequel to the Groundhog Day-style slasher movie from 2017. Both films star Jessica Rothe as final girl Tree Gelbman, and director Christopher Landon had been planning on bringing the character – and the actor – back for a third installment. So… where is it?!

We’ve been talking about a potential Happy Death Day 3 for several years now, with the ball in producer Jason Blum’s court. Happy Death Day 2U scared up $64 million at the worldwide box office, a far cry from the first film’s $125 million. But with a reported production budget of just $9 million, that first sequel was profitable for Blumhouse. So again… where is it?!

Chatting with Screen Geek this week while promoting her new action-thriller Boy Kills World, franchise star Jessica Rothe provided a hopeful update on Happy Death Day 3.

“Well, I can say Chris Landon has the whole thing figured out,” Rothe explains. “We just need to wait for Blumhouse and Universal to get their ducks in a row.

Rothe continues in her comments to Screen Geek, “But my fingers are so crossed. I think Tree [Gelbman] deserves her third and final chapter to bring that incredible character and franchise to a close or a new beginning.”

Back in 2020, Christopher Landon had revealed that the working title for the third installment was Happy Death Day to Us, said to be “different than the other two films.”

In the meantime, Christopher Landon is directing a mysterious thriller titled Drop for Blumhouse and Platinum Dunes, along with a werewolf movie titled Big Bad for Lionsgate.