Exclusives
SDCC ’09: Darren Bousman Talks ‘Abattoir’ FRANCHISE
At the San Diego Comic Con we caught up with Darren Lynn Bousman, director of Saw II-IV and Repo! The Genetic Opera, who was on hand to announce his new comic-to-screen venture Abattoir (read more about it here). Below the break you can read our exclusive interview where he talks about Abattoir, the massive forthcoming franchise from Radical.
The title of Bousman’s new comic, Abattoir , is quite interesting. He talks a bit about where the title derived from.
“Abattoir means SLAUGHTERHOUSE – this book (and soon to be movie) is extremely dark,” he explains. “It revolves around a unique house – you come to find out very quickly why ‘slaughterhouse’ is an appropriate name.”
The idea for the comic came when Bousman and writing partner Michael Peterson were looking to do a haunted house movie.
“My writing partner, Michael Peterson, and I wanted to do a haunted house movie. But it NEEDED to be completely unique and different. Haunted House movies have been around since, well… FOREVER. So, we kept trying to figure out ways into the story that we have never seen. One day we broke the idea,” he exclaims with pure excitement. “We were both flipping out, and loved the approach we were taking.”
Thus began the development process, which led them to the revelation that this was too big for just a movie, “We spent months going back and forth with the idea. Next thing we knew we had TONS and TONS of storylines and numerous concepts. The mythology became massive. It was then clear that there was no way in hell we would be able to fit this all into a 90-minute movie. Michael was busy working on Bones (he’s a writer on the show) at the time, I was prepping Mother’s Day. I knew there was no way to begin the script until we figured out how to condense this dense universe. Then the idea hit me – instead of just cutting down all of this mythology, lets widen the medium,” he explained. “At this time I was reading TONS of graphic novels. I had just finished From Hell, and I was blown away by the impact the graphic novel medium can have on the reader. I started coming up with a storyline for the graphic novel that would not only be a perfect companion for the movie, but more importantly was its own thing. I took a meeting with Barry Levine at Radical and pitched him the story for the novel and he flipped. Next thing I knew we were making the graphic novel!”
Writing is already underway as “Scott Hampton will be penning the book and Michael Peterson and I will be writing the screenplay,” Bousman revealed adding that there are 3 separate books planned that will serve as a companion piece to the story. “The world is massive, as is this story – the graphic novel will serve as a companion piece to the movie. Part of the same story and same world. But independent in its own right.”
But the huge news is that Abattoir could easily become a franchise, in fact, Bousman is already counting on it.
“Yes, Yes, Yes… Abattoir stemmed from wanting to create a new horror franchise. I remember in the 80’s growing up, watching all these amazing franchises being born – Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Friday the 13th, House, Candy Man – I loved them. They were new and exciting, then time passes,” he continues, “instead of new franchises being born, we are just bringing back the old ones. REMAKE of NIGHTMARE, REMAKE of HALLOWEEN, REMAKE of FRIDAY THE 13th,” he shouts with a little anger in his voice. “I want to see new films, new franchises. That all being said, the most important thing now is making a GREAT BOOK and GREAT FILM. While I envision Abattoir long into the future, if the first book isn’t right, there will be no more… It’s all about making the beginning AMAZING. That’s my focus now.“
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.