Movies
‘Hatchet II’ Largest Unrated Release in 25 Years?
Dark Sky Films, a division of MPI Media Group, announced today that in anticipation of the upcoming Halloween horror movie season, Adam Green’s Hatchet II (set visit) will be distributed in theaters across the country beginning October 1. The film will be released without an MPAA rating, marking the widest release of an unrated genre film in more than 25 years — although the press release doesn’t specify how many theaters that will be. AMC Theatres, under its AMC independent program, will be exhibiting HATCHET II in the top 20 markets across the country. Vitagraph Films is serving as theatrical distributor.
The announcement regarding the HATCHET II release was made jointly by Adam Green with MPI Media Group’s Senior Vice President of Acquisitions Greg Newman.
A ferociously fun tribute to the old-school horror sensation slasher movies of the 80’s, HATCHET II is the follow-up to the popular original film, which was released theatrically in 2007 and became a sleeper-hit, gaining a wide following on DVD. The cast of HATCHET II features a cavalcade of horror movie icons including Danielle Harris (HALLOWEEN) and Kane Hodder (FRIDAY THE 13th), reprising his role as serial killer Victor Crowley. Also starring are Tony Todd (CANDYMAN) and R.A. Mihailoff (TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE).
HATCHET II is having its world premiere this week in London at Fright Fest, the UK’s premiere horror and fantasy film festival.
Director Adam Green said, “Having a movie as graphically over the top as HATCHET II come out in major theatres unrated is an absolute dream come true — not only for the genre fans but for the entire make-up effects crew who normally have to watch their amazing achievements get sliced and diced for theatrical release. This is an important event for the horror genre and I hope the real horror fans support HATCHET II and help change the way genre films are released theatrically from this day forward. Kudos to Dark Sky Films and AMC theaters for truly honoring the spirit of old school American horror and doing this right. Gorehounds won’t know what hit them!”
Dark Sky Films’ Newman added, “We are thrilled that audiences will not have to wait for a director’s cut or unrated version of Adam Green’s HATCHET II. On October 1st fans will have the opportunity to see Hatchet II in theaters exactly as it was intended to be seen: full-on, uncut and uncensored! We hope that this unrated release of HATCHET II marks a new trend in providing an uncompromised theatrical experience for genre film lovers nationwide.”
“Our AMC independent program embraces diverse storytelling of all types,” said AMC Theatres’ Vice President, Specialty & Alternative Content, Nikkole Dneson-Randolph. “Bringing a story like HATCHET II to our guests is a natural fit during this time of year and we’re excited to share the filmmakers’ vision on-screen in its intended state.”
Described as “Ted meets ET,” David Mikalson’s raunchy comedy Goblin is being brought to life over at A24, and Will Forte (“The Four Seasons”) is now in talks to star.
Deadline first reported the news this afternoon.
Kenneth Branagh has been cast to voice the titular Goblin in the upcoming A24 movie, with the character said to be “green-colored” as well as “anatomically correct.”
Skyler Gisondo (Superman) is reportedly playing the Goblin’s human best friend.
The mysterious project sounds a bit like films including A Gnome Named Gnorm and more recently, Frankie Freako, though it’s important to note that it’s not billed as a horror movie.
Deadline details, “After [Mikalson] hatched the idea to make an outrageous buddy comedy about a goblin, using a practical puppet and operating outside the Hollywood system, his script quickly got him a rep team. While others might have eyed the raunchy comedy as a writing sample or planned to wait to see the micro-budget version Mikalson has been directing in Kentucky, A24 jumped all over it. The hot indie essentially has agreed to finance a full feature.”
“There was a lot of interest, but A24 came with what Mikalson really wanted, after spending all his money crafting the puppet title character: they acquired the movie and agreed to let him make it with a significantly increased budget than what he had left after creating the anatomically correct title character,” Deadline’s report goes on to explain.
What does the titular Goblin actually look like? Well, a cake that Mikalson had whipped up for his reps might give us our first look at what to expect. Deadline explains the photo you’ll see down below, “Take a look at the cake he commissioned with Marc Gravelle at Cake Art in West Hollywood, to present to his reps as thanks for making his dream come true.”
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