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Jack Ketchum Talks Alternate ‘Offspring’ Finale, New Project
B-D stringer John Marrone recently had the chance to talk to author Jack Ketchum, who has all sorts of projects in the pipeline from the forthcoming Offspring to the newly announced The Passenger, all being adapted for the big screen. Beyond the break you can read a bit about the new ending for Offspring, along with first details on Passenger.
John Marrone writes in, “Got back from interviewing Jack Ketchum, here’s a quick news bit…
Jack Ketchum wrote the screenplay for Offspring, and before all was said and done, they reshot the ending to give it a different finale than the book. Beware of spoilers.
“We wanted to leave it a bit more open than the novel, ending wise,” Ketchum tells us. “Leave it open for a sequel possibilities. Without giving it away completely, somebody that died at the end of the novel is still alive at the end of the film.”
Jack also talked about The Passenger, another screenplay Ketchum developed and turned into a screenplay.
“The Passenger is a story about a woman stranded on the rode looking for a ride, who coincidentally gets picked up by an old friend.” He continues, “Problem is, she is fucking nuts. Up the road a ways, a trio of rapist murderers are hitchhicking after getting into an accident during their escape. So in no time, what you have is our main character sitting in a car with a lunatic driver and three murderous rapists in the back seat. She’s going to have one hell of a bad day.”
The script is currently in the hands of Lucky McGee (May, The Woods) who has the options on it at this time.”
Watch for more on Offspring soon. In Offspring, survivors of a feral flesh-eating clan are chowing their way through the locals. Amy Halbard and Claire Carey strive to survive their abduction by the cannibals and save their children. A subplot involving Claire’s despicable husband, Steven, gives an opportunity to cleverly compare predatory civilized folk to the appetite-driven primitives.
Out today in select theaters and on digital platforms is heartfelt and playful documentary Mockbuster, which sees a director cold call a studio and ask to helm a lost-world dinosaur epic.
Inexplicably, they say yes.
Our exclusive clip below highlights both the comedic nature of this bizarre scenario as well as the pressures of shooting dino feature The Land That Time Forgot in a mere six days, with no real feature experience.
A dino attack scene causes friction on set in this scene.
In the documentary, “A struggling filmmaker’s opportunity collides with chaos and compromise when Sharknado’s notorious studio, The Asylum, invites him to direct a ‘mockbuster.’ With six days, a micro budget, and mounting pressure, Mockbuster is a comedic, behind-the-scenes documentary exploring the balance between low-budget filmmaking and creative ambition.”
More than just an inside look at filmmaking via low-budget film studio The Asylum, it doubles as one man’s pursuit of his dreams to charming, humorous effect.
“Mockbuster is a documentary about my own journey, but it’s also a love letter to one of the last grindhouses still functioning in Hollywood. We get to meet the characters and creators of some of the most infamous (and most hated) B-movies of the last few decades. People who make movies purely for profit – no pretension, no artistry, just monsters, C-listers, and chaos. A film that both genre fans and cinephiles can enjoy. But Mockbuster isn’t just about filmmaking, it’s about losing sight of your dreams, and reclaiming them in your own twisted way,” Director Anthony Frith said in a statement.
From Executive Producer and famed documentarian David Farrier, Mockbuster opens in select theaters and on digital platforms beginning July 10.