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Three Join Cast of Fox Searchlight and Guillermo del Toro Project ‘Antlers’

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Fox Searchlight is adding some serious thespian credibility to its latest horror-thriller project.  Deadline is reporting that the production studio has announced several actors are being brought in to the film Antlers, based upon the short story ‘The Quiet Boy’ by writer Nick Antosca (Hannibal.)  This is shaping up to be quite the intriguing project, the first with Fox in a deal with Guillermo del Toro, who will co-produce.

Graham Greene (The Green Mile), Amy Madigan (Gone Baby Gone) and Scott Haze (Midnight Special) have been tapped to join the cast of the Scott Cooper-helmed film.  They’ll join up with the already-announced Keri Russell and the very underrated Jesse Plemons for Antlers in yet-unknown roles.  Antosca and Henry Chaisson co-wrote the script, with del Toro and two others sharing producer credit.  The three veteran additions help to form an impressive stable for Fox Searchlight, which is looking to follow up on the success of last year’s Oscar winner for Best Picture The Shape of Water, also from del Toro. read more

Del Toro Casts ‘Breaking Bad’ Alum Norris in ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’

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Looks like Guillermo del Toro will be dipping into the Breaking Bad talent pool for his latest project.  Del Toro has reportedly cast Dean Norris, who played Walter White’s brother-in-law (and main antagonist) Hank on the hit AMC show, for his upcoming film Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.  Somewhere Jesse Pinkman is smiling.

Norris is the latest, and most well-known, addition to the film’s cast.  Since Breaking Bad ended its wildly successful run, Norris has gone on to appear in big-budget films such as Fist Fight (2017) and the Death Wish remake (2018).  Joining him in yet-unknown roles are Zoe Margaret Colletti (Annie) and Michael Garza (Wayward Pines) among others.  Spanish actor Javier Botet, who played significant roles in horror genre hits like Slender Man, The Conjuring 2, and IT, will also join the cast in some on-screen capacity.  André Øvredal (The Autopsy of Jane Doe) is attached to direct. read more

‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’ Adaptation set to Feature Iconic Monster Designs

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Right from his personal Twitter, producer Guillermo del Toro has confirmed that the creatures in the upcoming Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark adaptation will in fact look like the books’ legendary and eerie illustrations.

Alvin Schwartz, author of Scary Stories, created a memorable book trilogy together with illustrator Stephen Gammell.

The three-entry book series was published during the 1980’s and early 90’s and has maintained strong readership in the following decades. The upcoming film will follow a group of young teenagers who must investigate the sudden and horrifying deaths in their small town. read more

Zoe Colletti Lands Lead in ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’

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Deadline has confirmed that Zoe Colletti has landed the lead role of Stella Michaels in the highly anticipated film, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

Guillermo del Toro helped adapt the screenplay and is set to produce the film. Andre Overdal (Trollhunter, The Autopsy of Jane Doe) is set to direct the film which follows a group of young teens who must solve the mystery surrounding sudden and macabre deaths in their small town.

Scary Stories is a series of three books, the first of which Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark debuted in 1981 from writer, Alvin Schwartz and artist, Stephen Gammell. The book focused on urban legends and folklore but what terrified people the most was the nightmarish illustrations by Gammell. The book simply became a nightmare for librarians as it has been noted that many parents would complain to the school in hopes of getting the book removed. Scary Stories quickly drew the ire of the American Library Association for its violence and terrifying imagery. read more

Federal Judge Dismisses ‘The Shape of Water’ Copyright Infringement Lawsuit; Fox Searchlight Entitled to Legal Fees

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In January, we learned that writer Paul Zindel’s son, David Zindel, had accused The Shape of Water of being “obviously derived from” his father’s play, Let Me Hear You Whisper. In February, Zindel officially sued Fox Searchlight, Twentieth Century Fox, writer/director Guillermo del Toro, and associate producer Daniel Kraus for copyright infringement during the same week where Academy Awards voters were casting their votes. The controversy did not stop the film from winning four Oscars (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Music Score, Best Production Design), and now Zindel’s case has been settled for once and for all. read more

Netflix, del Toro to Collaborate on Horror Anthology Series ’10 After Midnight’

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With Netflix leading the charge, the online streaming services continue to conquer the new entertainment landscape.  According to the folks over at Deadline, Guillermo del Toro, already the creator of the Emmy-winning Netflix animated series DreamWorks Trollhunters, will venture into the live-action world with the network as well.  The network has given the green-light to Guillermo del Toro Presents 10 After Midnight, which represents their first stab at an original horror anthology series.

Guillermo del Toro Presents 10 After Midnight is described as series of del Toro’s original stories, which tows the line between the divine and the devilish.  The show follows a long lineage of similarly-themed projects, which include Ray Bradbury Theatre and The Outer Limits among others.  Del Toro is slated to both write and direct certain episodes, but his hand-prints will be on the entire show.  He will personally select the writers and directors that will work on each episode, which bodes well for many up-and-coming horror collaborators. read more

Guillermo del Toro Wants to Assist and Encourage Young Filmmakers From Around the World

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Fans of Guillermo del Toro were ecstatic last Sunday night when the long-time filmmaker was awarded the Best Director and Best Picture honors for The Shape of Water.

del Toro has always been known as a “super fan” of monsters, horror, sci-fi, and even Disney’s Haunted Mansion attraction (and he is still reportedly working on a suitable film adaptation) and he is also a staunch supporter of young filmmakers.

In an interview with Variety after his Oscar wins, del Toro again emphasized how important it is to encourage the next generation of artists from around the world, stating that “The first thing we’ve got to keep doing is to have visibility and help others have visibility.  When you check the cast of The Strain all four seasons have [actors] Joaquín Cosio, Miguel Gomez. There’s Adriana Barraza and Mía Maestro.  Two of the three Oscars Pan’s Labyrinth won were for Eugenio Caballero [production design] and Guillermo Navarro [cinematography].  And Eugenio, that was his first big movie. I had produced a movie with Alfonso for a second-time filmmaker, Sebastián Cordero, called ‘Cronicas.’   Eugenio had done the [production design] and this was a very small movie, but I said let’s go do Pan’s Labyrinth. And you blink and the next thing, he’s winning the Oscar.” read more

Horror and Genre Favorites Pull Big Wins at 2018 Academy Awards

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The 2018 Academy Awards have come and gone and fans of horror and genre film have something to smile about this morning as there were big wins, and nominations, for genre films.

Jordan Peele’s Get Out was the winner in the Best Original Screenplay category and had nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Daniel Kaluuya) and Best Director (Peele).

Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water was the biggest winner though with wins for Best Picture, Best Director (del Toro), Best Original Score (Alexandre Desplat) and Best Production Design (Paul D. Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin and Shane Vieau). Shape also had nominations in Best Actress (Sally Hawkins), Best Cinematography (Dan Laustsen), Original Screenplay (del Toro and Vanessa Taylor), Best Film Editing (Sidney Wolinsky), Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer), Best Sound Mixing (Glen Gauthier, Christian Cooke and Brad Zoern), Best Sound Editing (Nathan Robitaille and Nelson Ferreira), Best Costume Design (Luis Sequeira) and Best Supporting Actor (Richard Jenkins). read more

‘Get Out’ Wins Best Feature Film and Best Director at Independent Spirit Awards

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As the last awards show before the Academy Awards, the Independent Spirit Awards have been a pretty good predictor of winners at the Oscars in the last few years, with Moonlight, Spotlight, Birdman and 12 Years a Slave each taking home the best picture award at both celebrations.  Does this mean Jordan Peele’s Get Out is next up for this prestigious double feature?

At this year’s edition of the Independent Spirit Awards, Peele’s Get Out walked away with awards for Best Feature and Best Director.  During his acceptance speech, Peele praised the independent film community, saying that “It’s clear we are in the beginning of a renaissance right now where stories from the outsider, stories from the people in this room, the same stories that independent filmmakers have been telling for years are being honored and recognized and celebrated.” read more

Paul Zindel’s Son Files Lawsuit Against ‘The Shape of Water’ Creators for Alleged Plagiarism

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We first reported in late January that David Zindel, the son of playwright Paul Zindel, is accusing The Shape of Water of plagiarism. Now, the accusations have escalated in the form of a 53-page lawsuit against Fox Searchlight, Twentieth Century Fox, writer/director Guillermo del Toro, and associate producer Daniel Kraus.

NPR reports that Zindel’s suit was filed on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in the Central District of California. The suit alleges that The Shape of Water, “brazenly copies the story, elements, characters, and themes” of Paul Zindel’s 1969 work entitled Let Me Hear You Whisper. Zindel’s play, which was first adapted for television during the same year, tells the story of a female custodian who forms a special bond with a dolphin in a lab, and she hatches a plan to escape with the creature once she learns that scientists plan to dissect its brain. read more