Movies
Dean R. Koontz’s ‘Frankenstein’ Resurrected in Feature Film Form
I guess Uni’s Wolfman redo was enough of a success to light a fire under the ass of a few executives out there. It was announced today that Ralph Winter and Terry Botwick are developing a 21st century Frankenstein tale, acquiring feature rights to Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein through their 1019 Entertainment banner. Koontz has been extremely vocal about his hatred for the feature film (and TV) adaptations of his novels, at one point even swearing off letting them happen; it’ll be interesting to see if they can finally knock one out of the park (odds are against ya buddy, especially since they already failed with the “Frankenstein” TV adaptation).
From Variety:
“The project places the doctor — a socially prominent and successful businessman — and his super-human original creation Deucalion in modern-day New Orleans. The story centers on a pair of street-smart detectives who encounter Deucalion while investigating a murder, leading them to a bizarre array of “engineered” humans.
Three titles in Koontz’s series have been published, with the fourth scheduled for release in June.
Winter and Botwick are aiming to launch a franchise. “These books have enough twists and turns to keep the public coming back to the theaters for many years to come,” the duo said.
“Frankenstein” will be produced by Winter and Botwick along with 1019 Entertainment exec Whitney Thomas.
Prior to forming 1019 Entertainment, Winter had a first-look deal at Fox and produced the “X-Men” trilogy, Tim Burton’s “Planet of the Apes” and the “Fantastic Four” movies. Botwick was previously president of Vanguard Films and Animation and president of Big Idea Prods. He also did stints at CBS and the Family Channel.
The first title in the Frankenstein series, “Prodigal Son,” was published in 2005 by Bantam Books, followed by “City of Night” and “Dead and Alive.” The fourth book, “Lost Souls,” will be published June 22, with the fifth and sixth books to follow in 2011 and 2012. “
Sunrise Films has announced the official North American release of William Bagley‘s horror comedy Hold the Fort, and it’s accompanied by an energetic new trailer.
Hold the Fort debuts on digital platforms on June 23.
In the film, “Lucas and Jenny think their life is finally coming together when the couple become homeowners. Little do they know that their new house comes with a big catch. Lucas and Jenny soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when they become trapped in a battle between their Homeowners Association and an onslaught of monsters from hell. The horror-comedy takes the timely concern of home-ownership and wraps this up in an entertaining action-packed thrill ride.“
Watch the new trailer below, which introduces one wild HOA gathering during an equinox. Things get bloody fast.
Chris Mayers (Adult Swim Yule Log), Haley Leary (“The Walking Dead”), Levi Burdick, and Julian Smith star.
William Bagley writes and directs, in addition to producing with Smith, Matt Dodd, Luke Williams, and Tim Reis (Adult Swim Yule Log).
Ahead of the release, Bagley said, “My goal with this film was to make a hilarious, fast-paced thrill ride while also telling a great story with heart. Hopefully, through all the blood, laughs, fights, and gags, you leave the film feeling inspired to tackle whatever life throws at you.“
Hold the Fort premiered at Fantasia last summer before going on to play FrightFest London, Toronto After Dark, and Beyond Fest.
I wrote in my review, “It’s an infectiously charming assemblage of jokes and monster vignettes bound together by a barebones plot with not much on its mind beyond delivering an entertaining time.”
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