Movies
Tony Todd Returns as the Reaper in ‘Final Destination 5’
BC writes in from London where he learned that Tony Todd will make his return to the Final Destination franchise in New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures’ Final Destination 5, which begins lensing September 13 in Vancouver. He cameo’d in the first two films as Mr. Bludworth, which many horror fans believe is “Death”. He’ll be joining Nicholas D’Agosto, Ellen Wroe, Meghan Ory, David Koechner, Miles Fisher and Arlen Escarpeta in the horror that opens with a suspension bridge disaster. Being directed by James Cameron alum Steven Quale from a screenplay by Eric Heisserer (The Thing, A Nightmare on Elm Street), Death returns to theaters on August 26, 2011.
In the wake of Backrooms and Obsession, everyone is prowling YouTube for horror shorts to adapt and horror filmmakers to scoop up, so don’t be surprised to see a whole bunch of upcoming articles about YouTube success stories crossing over into theaters. One horror short that’s already been picked up for expansion is Dolly director Rod Blackhurst’s Alone Time.
The 12-minute short was uploaded in 2014 and has amassed nearly 2 million views at the time of this article being written, and Deadline reports that it’s getting a feature adaptation.
Witchcraft Motion Picture Company & Fever Dream will turn the viral short into a feature film.
Alone Time follows Ann Saunders, a young NY professional whose carefully constructed life begins to unravel following a devastating personal loss. “Seeking refuge from a collapsing relationship, a deteriorating family situation, and mounting emotional trauma, Ann reluctantly joins her closest friend on a remote camping trip deep in the Adirondack wilderness.”
The synopsis continues, “When her friend mysteriously disappears, Ann becomes convinced that an unseen figure is stalking her through the forest. What begins as a survival nightmare slowly transforms into something far more disturbing as fractured memories, conflicting realities, and hidden truths force Ann to confront the possibility that the greatest threat may not be lurking in the woods at all, but buried deep within her own psych.”
“Alone Time has quietly followed me for over a decade,” director Rod Blackhurst said in a statement. “What began as a short film about isolation and the weight of life now feels more relevant than ever. The original short found its audience organically online long before that was considered a legitimate path for filmmakers. Bringing it to life as a feature allows us to explore those themes on a much larger and more psychologically unsettling canvas.”
Blackhurst is directing the feature length expansion.
You can watch the original Alone Time short film below.