Home Video
R.I.P. Warner Premiere, Sequels In Doubt
Warner Bros. has shut down Warner Premiere, its straight-to-video division. The label was launched at the height of the DVD boom in the mid-2000s, when consumers rabidly bought movies made specifically for the format. Warners cited the declining DVD market and the current transition to digital in a statement released Monday.
Franchise potential is now in doubt as among the more high-profile offering produced by Warner Premiere were 2008’s Lost Boys: The Tribe and 2010’s Lost Boys: The Thirst, and the original horror movies Trick ‘r Treat and The Hills Run Red. We’ve confirmed that the long-gestured Beetlejuice sequel is safe as it has moved into Warners.
This makes complete sense strictly from a major studio’s business perspective. Yet from the mind of an indie filmmaker, you look at this and laugh – this is what happens when you overspend on a direct-to-video title. There’s no reason we need a $4-6 million dollar Lost Boys sequel that looks like it was made for a dollar.
Premiere was the breeding ground for half-assed scripts, rushed productions and lackluster product. Good riddance I say…
After releasing in theaters last month, NEON announced today that horror romance Leviticus will arrive on digital platforms to rent or own beginning July 28, followed by a Blu-ray/4K Ultra HD Combo and DVD release on September 8, 2026.
Leviticus marks the feature debut by writer/director Adrian Chiarella.
Joe Bird (Talk to Me) and Stacy Clausen play star-crossed teenage boys who must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most — each other.
Mia Wasikowska (Crimson Peak), Jeremy Blewitt, Ewen Leslie (The Nightingale), and Davida McKenzie (Silent Night) round out the cast of horror movie Leviticus.
“Leviticus is a strong debut with an incisive voice at the helm,” I wrote in my review out of Sundance. “We care deeply about Naim and Ryan’s survival, making Leviticus a tense, atmospheric, and claustrophobic vision of young love in a hateful world.”
“Leviticus is the perfect title for writer-director Adrian Chiarella‘s powerful feature debut,” Meagan’s review explains, “a searing anthem against the corrosive nature of fear and bigotry.”
The physical media release comes packed with exclusive bonus features, the home entertainment release includes a feature commentary with Adrian Chiarella, interviews with Chiarella, Stacy Clausen, and Joe Bird, an exclusive behind-the-scenes featurette, and the official trailer.
Look for Leviticus on Digital next week, and check out the box art for September’s Blu-ray release this September.
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