Exclusives
Star Alex Russell Says Josh Trank May Not Return For ‘Chronicle 2’…
Bloody Disgusting stringer Maria Lewis (@moviemazz) writes in with some first word on Chronicle 2!
It was one of the surprise hits of the year, so what’s unsurprising is that Chronicle is ‘definitely’ getting a sequel. Australian actor Alex Russell played one of the teen-turned-superheroes and said his character Matt is the focus of the follow-up film.
“That’s the plan,” he said.
“(Screenwriter) Max Landis is working hard on that right now.
“He’s dropping hints here and there all over the world, he loves to keep people sweating.”
Russell – who recently arrived in Toronto to begin work on the Carrie remake – said he speaks regularly with Landis about Chronicle 2, but the screenwriter is keeping him in the dark about specific plot points.
“He doesn’t tell me a lot, but I’m really excited to see what he’s got ready to pull out of the hat.
“Chronicle was such an incredible thing and he wrote that in two weeks. It didn’t change much from that script to what we shot.”
Although Russell and Landis are returning for the second instalment, the 24-year old said he was less sure about director Josh Trank. The writer/director – who made his feature debut with Chronicle – is highly sought after with rumours circulating that he’s working on everything from Spider-Man spin-off Venom to the Fantastic Four reboot.
“I’ve heard that he might not be available and I’ve heard he wants to do it, so I’m not sure,” said Russell.
“I’d love if he did. He was really, really fantastic.
“It was pretty amazing that it was his first job. If it was his fiftieth job it would be equally amazing.
“It’s that extra special piece of trivia that this film was crafted by a first time filmmaker.
“By the same token I’d like to see what a different director does with it and see a different spin on it.
“I think we’re in for a good Chronicle 2 regardless.”
Chronicle is out on DVD and Blu-ray now. – Maria Lewis
Exclusives
‘The Haunting of Pennhurst’ Exclusive Clip Trains Scare Actors For Historic Haunt in Tribeca Doc
The past and present collide in haunting, poignant ways in the genre documentary The Haunting of Pennhurst, which sees a Halloween haunt serve as a reclamation of true historic horrors.
Ahead of its world premiere at the 25th Tribeca Film Festival, we have an exclusive clip that sees scare actors in training for the Halloween season. The catch? This haunt is opening at the historic Pennhurst State School & Hospital site, a facility that caused immense harm to its disabled patients over decades of its operation.
In the documentary, “For over seventy years, Pennhurst State School & Hospital was called a place of care. What happened inside killed over half its population. It closed in 1987, leaving behind unmarked graves and an unresolved history. Today, on those same grounds, disabled performers – many living with the same conditions that once sent people to Pennhurst – put on their makeup, pull on their costumes, and prepare to scare people for a living.
“Through grit, compassion, and buckets of blood, the eclectic performers of the Pennhurst Asylum haunted attraction are wrestling with a space that is at once a lucrative business and a gravesite.”
The upcoming documentary hails from directing trio Nathan Stenberg, Mike Attie, and Katarina Poljak, who explore their socially-relevant subject through archival footage, first-hand accounts, and an immersive verité.
“Pennhurst has haunted us since we first passed through its dragon-tooth gates; the horrors of the institution echo through the site today. We are so grateful to bring this film to the Tribeca Festival, particularly the Escape from Tribeca section, which feels right for a story where past and present bleed together. We hope audiences leave unnerved and asking the same uncomfortable questions we did,” Attie, Stenberg, and Poljak said in a statement.
Watch the clip below that sees disabled and neurodivergent scare actors learning the ropes of a Halloween haunt, reclaiming the site’s grim history in the process.
Tribeca Screenings:
- Public 1 (Premiere) Screening – Friday, June 5 at 9:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 2 Screening – Sunday, June 7 at 3:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 3 Screening – Tuesday, June 9 at 6:15PM at Village East by Angelika