Movies
‘M.F.A.’ Scribe Leah McKendrick To Direct Untitled Monster Movie For Atomic Monster And Universal
M.F.A. writer Leah McKendrick has been set to write and direct a mysterious, folkloric Untitled Monster Project for Atomic Monster and Universal Pictures, Deadline reports this afternoon. You had us at “Monster Project.”
Of course, plot details are being kept under wraps but we do know that it centers around a mythical monster.
James Wan will produce the project with Michael Clear and Judson Scott executive producing. Alayna Glasthal is overseeing the project for Atomic Monster.
More recently, McKendrick penned the upcoming I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot for Sony with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson attached to direct and Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr in talks to reprise their roles. The film is currently slated for a Summer 2025 release.
This isn’t the only mysterious Untitled Monster project in the works from Atomic Monster and Universal Pictures either. Earlier this year, it was announced that Evil Dead Rise director Lee Cronin will next be directing an untitled horror movie for Blumhouse and James Wan’s Atomic Monster described as a modern take on something ancient. That project is currently dated to release in theaters on April 17, 2026. So don’t expect McKendrick’s feature any time soon.
In Leah McKendrick’s powerful feature debut, 2017’s M.F.A., in which she also starred, “Noelle (Francesca Eastwood), an art student struggling to find her voice, is sexually assaulted by a fellow classmate. Attempting to cope with her trauma, she impulsively confronts her attacker, leading to a violent altercation that culminates in his accidental death. Noelle tries to return to normalcy, but when she discovers she is only one of many silenced sexual assault survivors on campus, she takes justice into her own hands. A vigilante is born – retribution is the inspiration she’s been waiting for.”
It’s the type of debut that signals this Untitled Monster Project is one to watch.
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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