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Josh Stolberg on ‘Piranha’ and ‘Sorority Row’, ‘Man-Witch’ a Go?!

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Screenwriter Josh Stolberg has updated his official blog with a whole bunch of goodies, all horror related. While he provides some insight into the now filming Piranha 3D and the forthcoming Sorority Row, he also revealed the news that his long-gestured Warner Bros. project Man-Witch is a go! Read on for the skinny.
From Josh Stolberg’s official blog:

I know, I know, I know, I know, I know…

I’ve been gone a while. I’ve received quite a few emails (which I haven’t replied to) and a bunch of IM’s (which I have rudely ignored). I’m sorry. Things have been incredibly busy as of late. I am hoping to start up my regular blog postings again. At least once a week for a while.

What’s new?

Sorority Row is PICTURE LOCKED!!! Very exciting. I’ve seen several screenings in the past two months and it’s gotten better and better. This last screening was great. I have high hopes for the movie. It’s everything I was hoping it would be. Scary. Funny. Tense. Stylish. Bloody. Sexy. I really think Stewart Hendler did a fantastic job with the directing. And after having a few movies made where I don’t feel real ownership over the script, this is one that I really feel came out how Pete and I wrote it. There were certainly many, many, many hands helping to make it better, but for the first time I feel like my script is represented fully and completely.

Pete and went out to Lake Havasu last week to spend some time on the Piranha set. It was a blast!!! I’ve seen a bunch of photos floating around on the internet from the shoot and it was as fun as it looks. Check out this link to see one of the first days we were there. That’s Kelly Brook and Riley Steele re-enacting a Girls Gone Wild shoot on the deck of a boat. Fun. We were able to meet and chat with most of the cast — unfortunately, we missed Richard Dreyfuss, but we met and hung out with Elisabeth Shue, Jessica Szohr, Jerr O’Connell, Ving Rhames, Adam Scott, Kelly Brook, Steven McQueen, Riley Steele and Cody Longo. More impressively, we got to hang out with Alex Aja, who I think is one of the best horror directors working today. High Tension was an amazing film and from what I saw on the set, he’s doing a really amazing job with Piranha. The film is going to be HUGE. One a couple of the days we were there, there were literally like 600 extras in bikinis and dozens of boats and cranes and scuba divers trampolines in the water. It was sick!!! So exciting to see it all come to life (especially considering that we finished the first draft of the script over five years ago). We also hung out with Alex’s producing partners Alix Taylor and Gregory Levasseur, two great folks who really made us feel welcome. All in all, it was a fun trip. We even spent an afternoon jet-skiing to one of the remote locations to see some of the second unit stuff getting shot in an amazing cove. So cool.

This week I’m on deadline to finish up with our final draft of The Spellman Files. As I think I’ve mentioned before, Barry Sonnenfeld is attached to direct and Paramount seems really gung-ho to get it greenlit. Our drafts have slowly been getting fewer and fewer notes from Barry, the studio, and our producers at Laura Ziskin Productions. That’s always a good sign. I think we’ll be turning in the draft to the studio this week.

Lastly, it’s looking like Man-Witch is a go at Warner Bros. I can’t say much about it at this point because the casting hasn’t been officially announced but it’s looking really, really good. More on that on an upcoming post.

I’m really sorry about the long delays since the last post. But check in soon and I’ll be posting more Q&As from my stockpiled email folders and also be answering some other longer questions that I’ve been getting about writing for television, some old Kids in America questions that have been in the hopper for a while, as well and a few more guest blogs and other fun stuff.

Be well and talk soon.

Josh

Horror movie fanatic who co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. Producer on Southbound, V/H/S/2/3/94, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. Chicago-based. Horror, pizza and basketball connoisseur. Taco Bell daily. Franchise favs: Hellraiser, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday the 13th. Horror 365 days a year.

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‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’ Rated “R” for “Horror Violence” and “Language”

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We are now less than one month away from the release of Lionsgate’s The Strangers: Chapter 1, the first film in a brand new reboot trilogy from director Renny Harlin (A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Master, Deep Blue Sea). It’s coming to theaters May 17, 2024.

The Strangers: Chapter 1 has officially been rated “R” this week for…

“Horror violence, language and brief drug use.”

For the sake of comparison, Bryan Bertino’s original home invasion film was rated “R” for “violence/terror,” while Prey at Night was rated “R” for “horror violence and terror throughout.”

Madelaine Petsch (“Riverdale”), Froy Gutierrez (Hocus Pocus 2), Rachel Shenton (The Silent Child), Ema Horvath (“Rings of Power”) and Gabe Basso (Hillbilly Elegy) star.

Based on the original 2008 cult horror franchise, the project features Petsch, who drives cross-country with her longtime boyfriend (Gutierrez) to begin a new life in the Pacific Northwest. When their car breaks down in Venus, Oregon, they’re forced to spend the night in a secluded Airbnb, where they are terrorized from dusk till dawn by three masked strangers.

Here’s the full official synopsis: “After their car breaks down in an eerie small town, a young couple are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive.”

Renny Harlin (CliffhangerDeep Blue SeaDie Hard 2) is directing from a script by Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland (The Freak BrothersDue Date). Lionsgate will distribute worldwide.

The Strangers began in 2008 with Bryan Bertino’s original home invasion horror movie, a terrifying film that introduced three masked killers who returned 10 years later with The Strangers: Prey at Night in 2018. The first film took place in a remote house in the woods while the sequel brought the murderous Man in the Mask, Dollface and Pinup Girl into a trailer park.

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