Movies
Ari Aster to Direct Scarlett Johansson in ‘Scapegoat’
Hereditary and Midsommar writer-director Ari Aster has reportedly set Scapegoat as his fifth feature.
Sources tell Deadline that Scarlett Johansson is set to star in the film, which will reunite Aster with distributor A24.
As is always the case with Aster’s work, plot details are being kept under wraps. Even the genre is unknown at this time.
Aster and his partner Lars Knudsen will produce through their Square Peg (Midsommar, Bugonia).
Scapegoat is slated to enter production later this year to accommodate Johansson’s busy production schedule. The Oscar nominee just wrapped on Mike Flanagan’s The Exorcist and will shoot The Batman: Part II this summer.
Aster established himself as a modern master of horror with the one-two punch of 2018’s Hereditary and 2019’s Midsommar. He went on to helm Beau Is Afraid in 2023 followed by Eddington, which premiered at Cannes last year.
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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