Movies
Is Horror Back? ‘The Nun II’ and ‘A Haunting in Venice’ Exorcise the Box Office
I hate that mainstream media constantly questions the potency of horror. It never goes away. It’s never “back”, so to speak. It’s always here and consistently crushes it. Sure, there are some duds (Lionsgate’s been struggling), but take a look at this past summer where awful movies like Meg 2 ($390M) and Insidious 14 ($188M) obliterated the box office.
This weekend was no exception. Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema’s The Nun II dominated the box office once again, sneaking ahead of A Haunting in Venice (review) and stealing the top spot with a $14.7M weekend. The sequel to The Conjuring spinoff is currently sitting at $158M in just two weeks, a far cry from the first film’s $364M but still astounding. $300M isn’t out of the question.
As for A Haunting in Venice, which nearly won the box office ($14.5M), the film opened to $37M globally, which could lead to a $100M+ theatrical run. A far cry from the success of The Nun II, but still strong enough to smash on streaming platforms this fall.
The Nun II takes place in 1956 France. A priest is murdered. An evil is spreading. The sequel follows Sister Irene as she once again comes face to face with the demonic force Valek – The Demon Nun.”
Haunting in Venice is set in eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve, A Haunting in Venice is a terrifying mystery featuring the return of the celebrated sleuth, Hercule Poirot.
Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city, Poirot reluctantly attends a séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the detective is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets.
NEON has been absolutely slaying the marketing game for their horror output this year, and they’re kicking the Longlegs campaign into high gear with one more month until release.
A cryptic ad in The Seattle Times today (seen below) has led clever horror fans to discover TheBirthdayMurders.net, the brand new official viral marketing website for Longlegs.
The in-universe website details the victims of the serial killer known as Longlegs (Nicolas Cage), described as a “Satan-worshipping psycho” who has terrorized families throughout the Pacific Northwest for nearly three decades.
The website details, “A bloody trail of bodies here in the great state of Oregon attests to the depraved savagery of this one-of-a-kind serial killer. With over three dozen victims that we know of, LONGLEGS is one of the most prolific mass murderers ever to have graced the region, and his gruesome endeavors are the stuff of nightmares. At first, all of the killings appeared to be straightforward murder-suicides: the handiwork of average men who suddenly snapped and slaughtered their wives and children. But a series of eerie coded messages left at the crime scenes indicate that someone – or something – is influencing these horrific crimes. The cryptic letters are signed by someone calling himself LONGLEGS.”
“With thirty-eight kills to his name, LONGLEGS has torn apart the lives of eleven different families throughout the Beaver State. His victims were good people: honest fathers, decent mothers, innocent little children.”
The website is loaded with secrets, clues, and gruesome (faux) crime scene photos, and you might even find a mention of yours truly nestled in there. Poke around. Stay a while.
Longlegs arrives in theaters July 12.
The upcoming serial killer horror movie marks the return of director Osgood Perkins (The Blackcoat’s Daughter, Gretel & Hansel). Nicolas Cage stars alongside Maika Monroe, with Monroe playing an FBI agent and Cage playing a serial killer.
In the film, “FBI Agent Lee Harker (Monroe) is a gifted new recruit assigned to the unsolved case of an elusive serial killer (Cage). As the case takes complex turns, unearthing evidence of the occult, Harker discovers a personal connection to the merciless killer and must race against time to stop him before he claims the lives of another innocent family.
The film is rated “R” for “Bloody violence, disturbing images and some language.”
4 New Horror Movies Released This Week Including ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ at Home
‘Saw XI’ Will Be an “Angry” Film with “Something New to Say”
‘I Saw the TV Glow’ is Now Available to Watch At Home
‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey II’ Available at Home This Month
‘Longlegs’ Poster – Nicolas Cage Stares Directly into Your Soul
You must be logged in to post a comment.