Dave Bautista is a hitman whose time runs out as rival assassins hunt him down like a dog in The Killer’s Game trailer.

After waging war with House Atreides in Dune: Part Two, Dave Bautista trades his Harkonnen armor for something more discrete as he slips into the role of a hitman on borrowed time in The Killer’s Game trailer. Lionsgate shared the first trailer, poster, and images for the upcoming action comedy from director J.J. Perry. The promo features the former wrestler-turned-Hollywood superstar as an assassin with a dry wit fighting for his life after receiving a false diagnosis from his doctor. Thinking he’s suffering from a terminal illness and only has three months to live, Bautista’s hitman, Joe Flood, must survive an onslaught of savvy killers looking to collect his head.

Here’s the official synopsis for The Killer’s Game courtesy of Lionsgate:

In the new action-comedy THE KILLER’S GAME, when top hitman Joe Flood (Dave Bautista) is diagnosed with a terminal illness, he decides to take matters into his own hands – by taking a hit out on himself. But when the very hitmen he hired also target his ex-girlfriend (Sofia Boutella), he must fend off an army of assassin colleagues and win back the love of his life before it’s too late.

Director and stunt performer J.J. Perry (John Wick: Chapter 2, The Fate of the Furious, The Rundown) directs from a script by Rand Ravich and James Coyne based on Jay R. Bonansinga’s book.

Dave Bautista leads the cast alongside Sofia Boutella (Atomic Blonde, Hotel Artemis, Argylle), Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, White Chicks), Scott Adkins (John Wick: Chapter 4, Dayshift, Avengement), with Pom Klementieff (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Thunder Force, Westworld), and Ben Kingsley (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Sexy Beast, Schindler’s List).

In The Killer’s Game trailer, Joe Flood believes his days are numbered and strikes a deal with a rival assassin to take him off the board. When Joe learns his doctor gave him the wrong diagnosis and he’s not dying of a terminal illness, Joe does everything he can to cancel the hit. Unfortunately for Joe, the people he’s hired are eager to put a hole in his head, and his plea to cancel the hit falls on deaf ears. As the situation escalates, Joe uses every trick in the book to defend himself and the woman he loves from taking a dirt nap. The trailer’s comedic tone fits well with Bautista’s knack for dry wit, and the over-the-top action looks to delight audiences with blood spatters, sliced throats, and giblets painting the town red. Let’s f*cking go!

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.

The term wizard can be thrown around a lot. Wizards make magic, can create life from the ether, and conjure things that are beautiful and sometimes monstrous. There aren’t many wizards out in the world these days, but I know of one by name and that name is Rick Baker. Baker is a master of the monsters and a wizard of special effects. He’s an artist and a visionary who made some of the most memorable creatures and effects to grace movie and TV screens of the last few decades. He’s also an unabashed Monster Kid who has never lost his love and fascination for the classics. On todays episode of What Happened To This Horror Celebrity we’re meeting a wizard of the wicked and magician of monsters (no really, he’s here to talk to us) as we reveal what happened to Rick Baker.

Rick Baker was born in 1950 to Doris and Ralph Baker in New York. Baker was an only child and due to this was a bit more withdrawn growing up. The family moved to California when Baker was very young, and it was there that Baker started his love affair with monsters. As a child, Baker loved movies and his parents were supportive of his creative interests. And when he was a child, his eyes beheld the first issue he would see of Famous Monster of Filmland. For those who may not realize it, Famous Monsters was a key component of the childhood of many of our movie magicians. Forest J Ackerman gave an outlet to monster kids over the 60s and 70s, much like Fangoria would through the late 70s and 80s. Baker was hooked. And upon watching films like Frankenstein and The Wolf Man starring Karloff and Lon Chaney Jr as well as Lon Chaney Sr.’s turns in Phantom of the Opera and Hunchback of Notre Dame, he found a calling.

As a teenager Baker would start creating make ups and effects, doing small projects like Octaman and The Thing With Two Heads, eventually becoming an assistant to the legendary Dick Smith while making The Exorcist. Baker would work for the first time with John Landis on the b-movie man in suit classic Schlock. He’d follow this up in 1974 with the legendary Larry Cohen by creating the terrifying mutated baby in It’s Alive. Baker actually had his then girlfriend wear the baby suit he’d created. He also made a puppet of the creature for reaction scenes. The same year he was making monster babies, Baker would create alongside Stan Winston the make up for the CBS made for TV Movie The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. The duo would go on to win an Emmy for their work on the film.

Two years later Baker worked with Carlo Rambaldi on the remake of the classic King Kong. The film had a star-studded cast and was the introduction to many to Jessica Lange. It co-starred Jeff Bridges and Charles Grodin and would have a 24-million-dollar budget, releasing in December of 1976. Kong in this version would be a man in a suit as well as an animatronic. Due to numerous issues with the animatronic, the film would eventually have Kong mainly be a suited actor. That actor wound up being Baker himself. This version of the story would have Kong climbing not the Empire State Building but the World Trade Center.

Baker would continue honing his craft and working on various projects over the 70s. This would include one of my phobia movies, Squirm, Track of the Moon Beast, and the gooey and oh so wrong The Incredible Melting Man. In 1977 Baker would join up with an up-and-coming filmmaker on a little project called Star Wars. The following year he’d work with another icon of cinema, Brian De Palma, on the psychokinetic horror film The Fury which starred Kirk Douglas as a father who has a psychically gifted son, he’s trying to save from a government agency who is trying to turn psychic children into weapons.

Following a return to Star Wars with Empire Strikes Back, Baker would create one of the monsters he is most well-known for and with it a film that has gone down as one of the best horror movies ever made. American Werewolf in London in 1981 would reunite Baker with John Landis who would write and direct the film about two unlucky Americans who meet their fates on the moor. Baker’s take on the classic werewolf was beyond anything ever seen at the time in cinema. The transformation sequence and the effects make up still to this day are effective. None of this was digital and the artistry is evident in every shot. Baker would win the first ever academy award for Best Make Up (the first for him but not the last) for the movie. Some of the stories of the shoot for American Werewolf are as legendary as the film itself. Most of them are true from what I’ve gathered. If you ever run into Steve Johnson who also worked on the project, he can tell you a few great ones including the fact the build for the Kessler Wolf actually fell on his arm during a late-night design session and bit him.

That wouldn’t be the only werewolf film he would work on that year. He’d also consult on the Joe Dante classic The Howling. 1981 was a great year for werewolves obviously.

The 80s were a busy decade for Rick Baker. He’d work with yet another horror legend in Tobe Hooper on The Funhouse, David Cronenberg on Videodrome and then in 1983 cross into an entirely new world of entertainment with what was surely one of my favorite moments growing up.

The absolute king of pop, Michael Jackson, joined forces with John Landis and Rick Baker to create a long form music video that was a nod to various classic horror films including I Was a Teenage Werewolf and Night of the Living Dead. Thriller would incorporate the work of 40 makeup artists and would also include a rap sequence by one of the kings of horror, Vincent Price. Baker would even show up in the video as one of the zombies rising from the grave.

Thriller would become a phenomenon and a touchstone of the 80s. It also helped turn the record of the same name into one of the biggest LP’s of all time and would have a making of documentary as well. It would receive multiple award nominations and wins. And of course, today, there are still flash mobs of fans going around breaking into the entire dance sequence without warning. The same year that Thriller would hit, Baker would also create the special effects make up for the madman of metal, Ozzy Osbourne’s epic music video Bark at the Moon. Once again, Baker would be turning a man into a monster.

1984, Rick Baker would work with yet another horror legend in John Carpenter where each would go into the science fiction genre realm with Starman. He’d also return to the land of apes with his work on Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan where he would help create the apes that would become Tarzan’s new family. In 1985, Baker would join Landis again, this time on screen, in the Jeff Goldblum starring Into the Night, which would also have David Cronenberg and Dan Aykroyd as part of the cast. The fortuitous casting would be a big one for Rick Baker, not for the role itself but for the fact he would meet his future wife Silvia on the set where she was working as a hair stylist.

Through the mid and late 80s, Rick Baker continued, including working again with Michael Jackson on the epic Disney ride Captain EO. In 1987, he’d design the iconic bigfoot Harry for Harry and the Hendersons, one of his favorite creations. Baker would snag another Oscar for the movie.

That same year Baker would work on two of my favorite television series. Werewolf was one of the original Fox networks shows and would last for only two seasons. But the series has continued to be a favorite amongst horror fans due to it having amazing creature effects for a weekly tv show and having a compelling storyline that was similar to the 70s Incredible Hulk. Baker would also create and design the iconic lion like make up for Ron Perlman’s Vincent in Beauty and the Beast. The job description was, per Baker, “we need him to be a beast, you know a monster…but attractive to women.” Baker went with a feline appearance and rock star hair/mane. He also wanted to be a part of the casting as the person who was in the role would be wearing this make-up every day while filming. When Ron Perlman showed up Baker knew he’d be the right fit, knowing he’d already done film work in makeup prior. After the series started it was clear, even from Perlman’s agent… all the ladies loved Vincent.

In 1988, Baker would get another Oscar nomination for his work on the comedy Coming to America. He’d also create another variety of ape in the biopic Gorillas in the Mist. In 1990, he’d team up with Joe Dante again for the sequel to Gremlins, not only as an effects artist but also a co-producer in Gremlins 2: The New Batch. In 1994, Baker would work with Tim Burton on what many consider Burton’s best film and it’s certainly one of my favorites: Rick Baker brought back to life Bela Lugosi in the form of Martin Landau in Ed Wood. The combination of Baker’s make up and Landau’s performance was uncanny. And it would win Baker another Oscar.

Over the course of the 90s, Baker would continue being a part of major film releases and snagging two more Oscars with The Nutty Professor and Men in Black. He’d also work with Peter Jackson in 1996 on the very much “needs more love” The Frighteners. He’d partner with John Carpenter that same year on Escape from LA. In 1997, he’d reteam with Michael Jackson on another supernatural entry into the king of pops videography with Ghosts. In 1998, he’d add to his repertoire of gorillas with the remake of Mighty Joe Young. In the 2000s, Baker started things off with a bang with How the Grinch Stole Christmas, creating the iconic make up and designs for Jim Carrey’s The Grinch and the residence of Whoville. One of which is Baker himself in a cameo. Again, Baker would take home a well-deserved Oscar for the film.

In 2001 Baker, joined back up with Tim Burton on the remake of Planet of the Apes where he designed some of the most beautiful ape make ups and creature work of the decade. He’d once again be a part of the on screen cast as well.

Throughout the early 2000s Baker was working on major releases. This included Disney’s The Haunted Mansion with Eddie Murphy (with whom he worked a number of times,) taking down King Kong as a pilot in Peter Jackson’s remake and working with Ron Perlman again on the 2004 Hellboy. In 2005, Baker returned to the werewolf genre, working with another horror legend in the form of Wes Craven for Cursed. In 2008, he’d score another Oscar nomination, again working with Eddie Murphy, on the comedy Norbit. That same year, Baker would transform Robert Downey Jr. into Kirk Lazarus, an actor committed to his role as Lincoln Osiris for the over-the-top insanity that will forever be Tropic Thunder.

In 2010, Baker would follow directly in the footsteps of his hero Jack Pierce when he joined the retelling by Universal Studios of their classic monster story The Wolfman. This time Benecio del Toro would play the tortured and cursed Lawrence Talbot with Anthony Hopkins as his equally cursed father. Personally this is one of my favorite things Rick Baker has ever done and it’s one of the most beautiful werewolf make ups I’ve ever seen. It’s a bloody, beautiful and amazing film that seems to be the baby of a Universal Classic with a Hammer horror film. Baker gets gloriously murdered in it as well. The Academy appeared to agree with my assessment as that year Baker took home his 7th Oscar for his work. The following year he’d present his mentor and friend Dick Smith with an honorary Oscar.

After The Wolfman, Baker worked on two more projects for Disney, Tron: Legacy and the designer for Angelina Jolie’s devilish fairy Maleficent. In 2012, he’d return to Men in Black’s universe for Men in Black 3. That same year, Rick Baker would get his own Hollywood Walk of Fame star.

In 2015, Rick Baker retired from working on films as a special effects artist but not as an actor. He would appear in Guillermo del Toro’s The Strain as a victim of the vampires and in 2017 would appear in The Ring sequel Rings. He continues to appear in other projects and contributes to documentaries and commentaries. These days, Baker is happy in retirement, creating amazing art and masks that he shares with fans on his Instagram. In 2020, Baker put together a massive tome of a book called Metamorphosis which chronicles his work and career of around 40 plus years. It’s a 2-volume set and is packed with images and behind the scenes photos from his film projects and work.

Baker has two daughters, Veronica and Rebecca, with his wife Silvia. The family that plays together, slays together and boy do they ever on Halloween. The Bakers all come together for the holiday in various states of monsterdom thanks to Rick’s skill and many hours of preparation. You really are missing out if you don’t follow Rick Baker on Instagram.

So that’s what happened to Rick Baker, a monster kid forever. Rick Baker may have retired from the movies but he’s never ever going to retire from the monsters. He continues to make them and celebrate them everyday. He is still a wizard and we’re lucky enough that he sat down with us to discuss a bit of his history.

A couple previous episodes of WTF Happened to This Horror Celebrity? can be viewed below. To see more, click over to the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!

Last Friday (not the 13th) on our Horror Live Stream, Friday Night Frights (watch it embedded above), our host Tyler Nichols, inspired by the recent release of the indie horror flick, In A Violent Nature, opted to open up a discussion with viewers about what the best Friday the 13th movies are. We also ran a poll on the weekend (The Final Chapter and Jason Lives were nearly neck-in-neck). Keeping with the theme, we decided to take a deep, long-form dive into the franchise rankings ourselves.

While this list is all in good fun, I have to admit that I found it to be surprisingly difficult to put together. That’s because the Friday the 13th franchise is my favorite of all franchises and I love every one of these films. Ranking them was like trying to rank my major internal organs. Some may work better than others, but I need them all! I struggled to decide which order to put them in, and ended up listing them based on which ones I would most like to watch at any given time. So here they are, listed from “Yes, put that movie on right now!” to “Sure, okay, let’s watch it.” Check it out, then let us know how you would rank the movies by leaving a comment below.

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART III (1982)

The Jason everyone knows is born here. This is where he gets his iconic hockey mask, and he wears it while taking out a group of youths vacationing at a cabin on the edge of Crystal Lake. Part 2 director Steve Miner returned for this one and managed to make it creepy while also packing it with gimmicks meant to be seen in 3D on the big screen – and you ever have the chance to see Friday the 13th Part III in 3D, go for it. It’s an awesome experience. Especially when you get to watch the hulking, hockey masked Jason (Richard Brooker) engage the final girl in one of the best chases of the franchise. A 13 minute sequence that goes all over the cabin property.

FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980)

Directed by Sean S. Cunningham, the original Friday the 13th has achieved classic status – and yet somehow it still doesn’t get enough respect or credit for how effectively creepy it is. A low budget but well crafted production, it delivers a dark-yet-fun atmosphere, an unnerving back story, an incredible score, amazing special effects (courtesy of Tom Savini), and an unforgettable performance by Betsy Palmer. Palmer shows up late in the film as a grieving mother out to avenge her young son, who drowned at Camp Crystal Lake more than twenty years earlier because the counselors weren’t paying attention. The new counselors didn’t have anything to do with it, but they pay the price.

FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER (1984)

A family living in a house out in the woods. A group of young people renting the house right across from them. And Jason Voorhees (Ted White this time) lurking nearby, waiting to strike. Director Joseph Zito brought a very dark atmosphere to this film, and yet it’s also a whole lot of fun, featuring some of the best, most likeable young characters in the entire series. (Plus some wild dancing from Crispin Glover.) Tom Savini believed “The Final Chapter” subtitle and returned to supply the bloodshed for Jason’s send-off. The kills are brutal, even the ones that are cut quickly, and the showiest of all is reserved for Jason himself. Jason is legitimately scary in this film, but a clever young boy named Tommy Jarvis figures out how to defeat the monster. For now.

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI: JASON LIVES (1986)

Tasked with bringing Jason Voorhees back from the dead, writer/director Tom McLoughlin looked to the Universal Monsters era for inspiration and resurrected Jason Frankenstein-style, with a well-placed lightning bolt. Jason rises from his grave a bit rotten but stronger than ever, just in time for the re-opening of Camp Crystal Lake. As returning adversary Tommy Jarvis tries to stop Jason, McLoughlin treats the viewer to fun characters, humorous lines and situations, cool stunts, great cinematography, and a rock ‘n roll soundtrack. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (which shows the title and subtitle the other way around in the title sequence, so it’s Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI) pushes the comedy further than any of the previous movies, but it works because Jason himself (CJ Graham) is never the butt of the joke. McLoughlin found a way to bring fresh energy to the franchise while still keeping it in the woods.

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2 (1981)

Friday the 13th Part 2 (not Part II, as they didn’t get fancy with the Roman numerals until later) is so good, it’s easy to overlook the fact that it’s built on a very odd decision: the one to make Jason Voorhees, the drowned child whose mother was out for vengeance in the first movie, the killer this time around. This isn’t the Jason who would become a pop culture icon. This is a backwoods fellow who wears a sack on his head (with Steve Dash being the man under the sack). But he’s also a terrifying killer who slashes his way through a new batch of counselors. Director Steve Miner did a great job of replicating the tone of the first movie, and the film features one of the best heroines in the franchise: child psychologist Ginny Fields, who comes up with a clever way of stopping Jason in his tracks.

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD (1988)

When Paramount couldn’t secure a deal with New Line Cinema to make Freddy vs. Jason, they shifted gears and made a sequel that is basically Jason vs. Carrie. You have the same set-up as The Final Chapter, partying youths in a house across from a family home, but this time the family home is occupied by a troubled girl with telekinetic abilities. Like Tommy in Jason Lives, that girl (named Tina) accidentally resurrects Jason, then has to deal with the consequences. And when it comes time for their showdown, Tina uses her telekinesis to dish out quite a beating to the hockey masked slasher. It’s pretty awesome. Kane Hodder made his Jason debut in this film, and director / FX artist John Carl Beuchler gave him a great rotten look.

FRIDAY THE 13TH: A NEW BEGINNING (1985)

After years of psychiatric treatments, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter hero Tommy Jarvis arrives at Pinehurst Halfway House… and soon a killer in a hockey mask starts picking off the staff of the halfway house, the troubled youths staying there, and people in the surrounding area. The identity of the killer is meant to be a mystery, but it’s pretty hard to miss the clues. Directed by Danny Steinmann, A New Beginning has a bad reputation, but it’s still a lot of fun. Jason (Tom Morga and Johnny Hock) may only be present in Tommy’s hallucinations, but we still get a hockey masked killer who acts just like him. The characters are ridiculous, the movie is extremely sleazy, but that’s all just part of its charm.

FREDDY VS. JASON (2003)

After a long trip through development hell, Freddy vs. Jason finally reached theatres in 2003, with director Ronny Yu bringing the concept to the screen with great style. Robert Englund reprises the role of Nightmare on Elm Street franchise dream stalker Freddy Krueger, who uses the image of Mrs. Voorhees to encourage Jason Voorhees (Ken Kirzinger) to rise from Hell and head over to his old haunt of Elm Street to commit murder and stir up fear. Fear that will allow Freddy to return to the dreams of the Elm Street kids. But when Jason overstays his welcome and claims too many victims on Elm Street, the slashers clash. Fights take place in both the dream world and at Camp Crystal Lake, and the climactic battle is a glorious bloodbath.

FRIDAY THE 13TH (2009)

Ideas from the first four Friday the 13th films were mixed together for this reboot, a collaboration between Paramount and New Line Cinema. Derek Mears plays a Jason Voorhees who is faster and more intense than ever before. He’s wearing a sack on his head when we first see him, and later in the film he acquires a hockey mask. The set-up is the same as we’ve seen multiple times: Jason slashes his way through a bunch of youths who are vacationing at a house near Crystal Lake. The movie also draws from the end of Part 2 for its most controversial element: when Jason crosses paths with a young woman who resembles his mother, he locks her up in his mine shaft lair instead of killing her. Some fans think it’s a logical extension of what we saw in Part 2, other fans hate it.

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN (1989)

The Paramount era came to an end with Jason Takes Manhattan, which underwhelmed at the box office when movie-goers saw that it didn’t really deliver on the promise of the title. Jason (Kane Hodder) spends most of the film on a cruise ship that’s on its way to Manhattan, knocking off youths who are on board for a senior trip. When they do reach their destination, Manhattan is mostly played by Vancouver alleyways. But there is a great moment where we see Jason standing in the middle of Times Square. Part VIII also disappoints with a spacey heroine who’s always tripping, since director Rob Hedden wanted to work in some Elm Street-esque elements. The movie is fun, but you can see why Paramount gave up.

JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY (1993)

The franchise moved to New Line Cinema with this installment, and director Adam Marcus set out to deliver a film that would be very different from any of its predecessors. He certainly accomplished that. Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder) is blasted to pieces by the FBI in the opening sequence… then spends the rest of the movie possessing people, starting with the coroner who is compelled to eat his heart. Jason’s spirit moves from body to body as he seeks out family members we never heard of before, because this movie creates its own mythology. “Through a Voorhees was he born, through a Voorhees may he be reborn, and only by the hands of a Voorhees will he die.” How can he die? By being stabbed with a magic dagger that sends him straight to Hell.

JASON X (2002)

While Freddy vs. Jason was making its way through development hell, director James Isaac decided to make another Friday the 13th sequel – one that would be set in the future to avoid causing continuity issues with the Freddy crossover. So a frozen Jason (Kane Hodder) gets blasted into space in the year 2455, and once he thaws out it’s business as usual because the ship he’s on happens to be inhabited by a bunch of youngsters. Plus some Marines, but those aren’t a problem. The cyborg causes him more trouble, but once his body gets blasted apart he just gets a new one, thanks to nanotechnology. Jason is upgraded into Uber Jason! Jason X is extremely goofy, and highly entertaining when you’re in the mood for absurdity.

Xavier Gens killer shark movie doesn’t break any new ground (and can be quite stupid) but still provides entertaining underwater horror.

PLOT: Sophia, a brilliant scientist comes to realize that a large shark is swimming deep in the waters near Paris.

REVIEW: There’s something about shark movies that gets to me on a primal level. Sure, there’s still just the one good one but something about them increases my anxiety to unreal heights. The surface of the water hides all the mysteries and horror beneath it, and I have a very active imagination. So my ears perked up when it was announced that Xavier Gens would be entering the world of shark horror. Because even when he doesn’t entirely hit (like this year’s Mayhem) he still manages to provide a technically proficient film with consistent momentum.

Under Paris follows Sophia after her entire team has been killed by a large shark. Three years later, the same shark’s GPS tag springs up in the canals of Paris, causing Sophia to seek it out. She has to contend with politicians who don’t believe her, a shark protection group that refuses to think a shark would ever be violent, and Mother Nature herself. Bérénice Bejo is great as Sophia and gives the film a bit of class. I haven’t really seen her since The Artist, so it was a bit jarring to see her fighting sharks at first. Thankfully she fits in perfectly and brings an air of believability to the narrative. And given how ridiculous the events can get, she’s invaluable. And while he didn’t get to show off his martial arts chops, Nassim Lyes does a good job as the river police commander.

The sharks range from passable to really bad with their CGI. It’s amazing how sharks are still so difficult to pull off in a believable way. There are brief moments where the sharks look pretty decent and are believable enough. But there are even more times when they behave so unrealistically and defy the law of physics. Movie sharks move so unnaturally fast that it takes a bit of the fear away. And I lost track of the times this giant shark propelled itself out of the water in a comical way.

I enjoyed the cinematography on display, with the filmmakers really utilizing different looks for the underwater shots. They were able to take advantage of the dirty river water as a great way to hide the shark and increase the tension. Variant color schemes help to provide a unique identity for each scene, which could have very easily been very samey. And there’s a beautiful shot of Paris near the end of the film that made me question how they managed such good FX at such a large scale.

A decent number of people are killed by the shark but a frustratingly small amount is shown on screen. They take the standard horror approach of ramping up the kills with every subsequent death, but it can still feel a little rinse and repeat. After all, how many different ways can a person get killed by a shark? And these sharks also really don’t seem to like eating people and just like nibbling on and dismembering them.  They lose their aura of terror the more the film goes on and the more we see them interact. Thankfully, at about the halfway mark, there are so many deaths that it’s easy to lose track. And a shoutout to the Deep Blue Sea reference (you’ll know it when you see it).

There are plenty of silly moments like Sophia reminiscing about her dead friends, only to accidentally come across the footage of them dying. But it just adds to the absurdity of the events. Because as much as everything is treated deadly serious, these moments really help to add to the entertainment value. Just like the blue-haired climate change girl being insistent that sharks don’t eat people only to learn the hard way that she may be wrong.

Under Paris is exactly what most shark movies end up being: an absurdist view of what a shark would do if it was a sentient killer. I wouldn’t say it’s good, but there are some high-octane moments that help you ignore the more overtly dumb ones. Climate change is a large factor in the story and it gets a little heavy-handed with its message. But I really enjoyed where the film ended up, setting up for what could be an extremely intriguing sequel. Watch this with a group of friends and laugh at the insanity on display. That’s what most shark movies are good for, and this is no exception.

UNDER PARIS IS STREAMING ON NETFLIX ON JUNE 5TH, 2024.

The horror film Late Night With the Devil returns to theatres with a special introduction and a Q&A with David Dastmalchian and Kevin Smith

Image Nation Abu Dhabi and Spooky Pictures recently teamed up to produce the horror film Late Night With the Devil, headed up by the Australian writing and directing duo of Colin and Cameron Cairnes (100 Bloody Acres) and starring David Dastmalchian – whose previous credits include The Boogeyman, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, and The Suicide Squad. The film received a theatrical release earlier this year before reaching the Shudder streaming service, and now it has been announced that IFC Films and Shudder will be bringing Late Night With the Devil back to theatres tomorrow, June 6th, for screenings that will begin at 6pm (at 6 on 6/6, get it?) and will include a Q&A with star Dastmalchian and filmmaker Kevin Smith, who directed Dastmalchian in Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. Late Night With the Devil will continue showing at participating theatres throughout the weekend.

Here’s the information: The version screened will include bonus content featuring a personalized introduction from film star David Dastmalchian, followed by an extended Q&A between David and famed cult classic writer/director Kevin Smith. The film will play through the weekend on over 500 screens across North America, including theater chains AMC, Cinemark, Drafthousse, Regal, National Amusements, Harkins and Cineplex.

Late Night With the Devil is a “supernatural chiller” that tells the story of the live broadcast of a late-night talk show in 1977 that goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation’s living rooms. Dastmalchian plays Jack Delroy, the host of the show Night Owls.

Colin and Cameron Cairnes previously provided the following statement: “In the ’70s and ’80s there was something slightly dangerous about late-night TV. Talk shows in particular were a window into some strange adult world. We thought combining that charged, live-to-air atmosphere with the supernatural could make for a uniquely frightening film experience.”

Spooky Pictures was founded by It producer Roy Lee and the Paranormal Activity franchise’s Steven Schneider. They are producing Late Night With the Devil alongside John Molloy, Derek Dauchy, and Future Pictures’ Mat Govoni and Adam White. Dastmalchian serves as an executive producer with Rami Yasin and Lake Mungo director Joel Anderson.

Are you a fan of Late Night With the Devil, and will you be catching the movie on the big screen during this theatrical re-release to see the Dastmalchian / Smith Q&A? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Mattel and Univeral are joining forces for a Monster High movie based on the iconic toy line of stylish horror-themed dolls.

Come into the lab and see what’s on the slab for Universal as the studio Frankenstein’s a Monster High movie based on the beloved horror-themed toy line. After unleashing the billion-dollar Barbie movie on the world, Universal and Mattel are teaming up for another toys-to-life film project focusing on an iconic collection of dolls. The Monster High toy line debuted in 2010 while focusing on the teenage children of famous monsters such as Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman. Monster High finds the teens navigating high school while contending with the pressures and perils of adolescence. Akiva Goldsman is producing Universal and Mattel’s Monster High movie, while the studios have yet to name a director.

“Monster High helps fans discover the great beauty in being true to yourself and celebrates the unique sensibilities at the core of who we are as individuals. We’re proud to partner with Universal Pictures and the brilliant Akiva Goldsman to usher this important message to audiences worldwide,” said Mattell Films boss Robbie Brenner.

“I’ve been fascinated by Monster High since my daughters were obsessed with the dolls as kids. I’m thrilled to once again join forces with Robbie Brenner and our friends at Mattel to help bring this iconic property to life,” said Goldsman.

In addition to the stylish toy line, Monster High has a television series and two live-action adaptations for fans to enjoy. The plots revolve around Clawdeen Wolf, Draculaura, and Frankie Stein, three monstrous young women with special powers. Other characters in the Monster High universe include Lagoon Blue, Toralei, Manny Taur, Cleo DeNile, Catty Noir, Hoodude Voodoo, Posea Reef, Skelita Calaveras, Jackson Jekyll, and many, many more.

Mattel is bringing several iconic toy properties to the silver screen, including Daniel Kaluuya’s Barney, Vin Diesel’s Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, Hot Wheels, Masters of the Universe, and more. Other projects in the works include films based on Polly Pocket, UNO, View-Master, Wishbone, Magic 8 Ball, American Girl, Bob the Builder, and more.

Are movies like Barbie and Monster High the future of entertainment? Can the big screen treatment elevate Monster High to a new level? I would think so. I know plenty of adults who enjoy the Monster High toy line and would jump at the chance to see a big-budget Monster High movie. The smartly designed dolls exhibit extraordinary powers, giving them a magical edge that allows for supernatural shenanigans. It will be interesting to see what kind of love Universal and Mattel give to Monster High and if the film can achieve mass appeal.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.

Lionsgate snags the North American rights to Cillian Murphy and Emily Watson’s historical drama Small Things Like These.

Lionsgate is snapping up the North American distribution rights for Cillian Murphy’s latest feature, Small Things Like These. Based on the acclaimed novel by Claire Keegan, the historical drama explores a dark secret kept in a convent and the father who uncovers the harsh truth. Murphy produces Small Things Like These in addition to his starring role with Emily Watson (Gosford Park, Punch-Drunk Love, Breaking the Waves) co-starring.

Tim Mielants (Wil, De Patrick, The Responder) directs Small Things Like These from a script by Enda Walsh. The following description arrives courtesy of Lionsgate’s official press release:

Small Things Like These, which was the opening night film playing in competition at the Berlin Film Festival this year and won a Silver Bear for Emily Watson’s performance, takes place over Christmas in 1985, when devoted father Bill Furlong (Murphy) discovers the startling secrets being kept by the convent in his town, and some shocking truths about his own life as well.

Murphy and Alan Moloney produce through their Big Things Films banner with financing from Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity studio.

“We are incredibly proud to bring this film to audiences. Claire Keegan’s book is a captivating, heart-wrenching, and empathetically told story of a character who uncovers not only a local mystery, but also discovers who he really is,” said Adam Fogelson, Chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. “Cillian is at the peak of his powers, both as an actor and a producer, and it’s exciting to work with Matt and Ben to distribute a film they have shepherded so lovingly. It’s especially meaningful for us to be distributing in Ireland, where we are confident audiences will embrace the film.”

“Especially since Small Things Like These marks the first project from Big Things Films, I’m particularly pleased Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions will bring it to audiences in Ireland, the US and UK. Making the film was labor of love; I can’t wait to talk about it. We are enormously grateful to Artists Equity for their unwavering support throughout this process,” said Murphy. “From the moment we shared the script, they have been there for us, and we are immensely grateful for their philosophy and partnership.”

Cillian Murphy is riding high after the success of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, in which Murphy starred as the “Father of the Atomic Bomb” J. Robert Oppenheimer. In addition to Small Things Like These, Murphy is reteaming with Danny Boyle for 28 Years Later, the third film in the 28 Days Later franchise.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.

Jake Gyllenhaal has a role in the Bride of Frankenstein remake his sister Maggie is directing, starring Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley

Several months ago, word leaked out that Maggie Gyllenhaal was set to write and direct a film called The Bride!, a new take on the concept of the 1935 classic The Bride of Frankenstein  (watch it HERE). Once thought to be set up at the Netflix streaming service, this one is actually happening at Warner Bros., and the studio has set the film for a theatrical release, IMAX screens included, on October 3, 2025. Gyllenhaal has assembled a strong cast for the film that includes Penelope Cruz, Annette Bening, Peter Sarsgaard, Julianne Hough, John Magaro, and Jeannie Berlin, with Jessie Buckley as The Bride and Christian Bale as Frankenstein’s Monster… and now The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Gyllenhaal’s brother Jake Gyllenhaal also has a role in the film!

The reveal of Jake Gyllenhaal’s involvement in The Bride! comes in an article that takes a look at Jake’s life and acting career, with a mention that Jake became interested in acting after watching Maggie perform in a junior high school production of South Pacific. Later in the article, it’s said that “Jake’s childhood admiration of Maggie has evolved into a mutual, ride-or-die relationship as adults, and he has a role in her Bride of Frankenstein movie.” The article also points out that when Jake hosted Saturday Night Live in 2007, he wore a short that bore the name of Maggie’s first child, Ramona. When he hosted again in 2022, he wore a shirt that added the name of her second child: Ramona and Gloria. When he hosted last month, he wore a shirt that said “The Bride & Frank,” a nod to the movie his sister is currently working on. As he told The Hollywood Reporter, “This time I was like, ‘What do I do? Oh, I’ll just (namecheck) her other baby.“

Details on the role Jake Gyllenhaal is playing in The Bride! were not shared.

The Bride! has the following synopsis: A lonely Frankenstein travels to 1930s Chicago to seek the aide of a Dr. Euphronius in creating a companion for himself. The two reinvigorate a murdered young woman and the Bride is born. She is beyond what either of them intended, igniting a combustible romance, the attention of the police and a wild and radical social movement.

This isn’t a Universal project, but it wouldn’t be the first Bride of Frankenstein remake to be made by a different company. In 1985, Columbia Pictures brought us another movie simply called The Bride, which starred Sting as Baron Charles Frankenstein, Jennifer Beals as Eva (the bride) and Clancy Brown as Viktor (the monster). A few years ago, it was announced that Scarlett Johansson was going to star in a similar project called Bride for A24 and Apple, but that still hasn’t made it into production.

What do you think of Jake Gyllenhaal joining the cast of his sister’s The Bride!? Let us know by leaving a comment below.