Blair Butler (The Invitation, Polaroid, Hell Fest) will write Occupant, a haunted house movie produced by Barbarian’s Zach Cregger

Earlier this year, it was announced that New Line Cinema had come out the winner in a bidding war over the haunted house project Occupant, which would be based on a 39-page short story by new writer Victor Sweetser. Now that the writers strike has come to an end, The Hollywood Reporter has discovered that New Line Cinema and producer Zach Cregger, the writer/director of last year’s Barbarian (watch it HERE), have found the writer who will flesh Sweetser’s story out into a screenplay: Blair Butler,  a former writer and on-air personality for shows like Attack of the Show who has gone on to work on several genre films. Her previous writing credits include The Invitation (the vampire movie that starred Nathalie Emmanuel), Polaroid, and Hell Fest. Butler was also a producer on the Marvel-inspired TV series Helstrom.

The Occupant purchase was part of Cregger’s year-long winning streak. Made on a budget of $4.5 million, Barbarian earned more than $40 million at the domestic box office when it was released by 20th Century Studios last year – a big enough success story that New Line Cinema forked over $38 million to pick up Cregger’s mysterious new horror project, Weapons. (Beating out Jordan Peele and Universal in the bidding war.) New Line then signed a first look deal with BoulderLight Pictures, the production company behind Barbarian. And as part of this deal, they put a sci-fi thriller called Companion on the fast track to production, with Cregger producing alongside BoulderLight and Vertigo’s Roy Lee.

Cregger is producing Occupant with Roy Lee and Scott Glassgold, who originated and developed the project. The set-up is described as a reverse haunted house story. Instead of a family moving into an abode, here a historical house is moved for preservation purposes into a neighborhood. Scares ensue.

Occupant sounds interesting to me, and I have enjoyed Butler’s previous genre films to varying degrees, so I look forward to seeing how this one is going to turn out.

Are you interested in Occupant? What do you think of Blair Butler being hired to write the script? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

A teaser trailer for American Horror Stories season 3 has arrived online ahead of the show’s October Hulu premiere

American Horror Stories, a streaming series spin-off from FX’s long-running horror anthology series American Horror Story, began with a seven episode first season in 2021, and an eight episode second season followed in 2022. For the upcoming third season, the episode count has been shortened to just four – and all four episodes of American Horror Stories season 3 are set to drop on the Hulu streaming service on October 26th! With that date just three weeks away, a teaser trailer has arrived online to give a quick preview of the Halloween (or “Huluween”) event. You can watch it in the embed above.

Created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuck, the same duo that’s responsible for American Horror Story, this series is a weekly hourlong anthology that features a different horror story, some of which call back to the original series, in each contained episode. Obviously the “weekly” part of that description is being set aside for the new season.

Murphy and Falchuk serve as executive producers on American Horror Stories alongside Alexis Martin Woodall, Max Winkler, Jon Robin Baitz, and Dr. Giggles director Manny Coto, who sadly passed away back in July at the age of 62. The show is produced by 20th Television.

Very little information has been revealed about American Horror Stories season 3, but we do know that Lisa Rinna is in the cast of an episode called Tapeworm. Rinna is best known for playing the characters of Billie Reed on Days of Our Lives and Taylor McBride on Melrose Place… or at least she was, until she was featured on eight seasons of the reality series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Rinna is the only confirmed cast member. The cast of American Horror Stories season 2 included several actors who had history with the American Horror Story and/or American Horror Stories shows – Cody Fern (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story), Max Greenfield (Veronica Mars), Nico Greetham (Power Rangers Ninja Steel), Denis O’Hare (True Blood), Derrick Aguis (The Rookie), and Gabourey Sidibe (Precious). This will also mark the Horror Story franchise debut of Dominique Jackson (Pose), Judith Light (Who’s the Boss?), Alicia Silverstone (Clueless), Bella Thorne (Amityville: The Awakening), Kristine Froseth (The Society), Raven Scott (Seven Days), Genevieve Aitken (Roman Empire), Kyla Drew Simmons (No Good Nick), Madison Iseman (the I Know What You Did Last Summer TV show), Cameron Cowperthwaite (Pledge), Maryssa Menendez (Minx), newcomer Sarah Silva, Kyanna Simone (Chambers), and Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild). We’ll have to wait and see if any of them ended up returning for American Horror Stories season 3.

What did you think of the American Horror Stories season 3 teaser trailer? Will you be watching this show on Hulu later this month? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Method acting isn’t for everyone, but some derive a particular thrill from escaping into the personalities they play on screen. It’s a way to embody the character completely, surrendering to their will and whim within reason. Lady Gaga is a significant fan of the technique, as evidenced by the actress keeping her Italian accent while playing Patrizia Reggiani for Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci. She also stayed in character as Ally Maine for years leading up to 2018’s A Star is Born. While it’s possible to admire the dedication to playing a part, some find the practice frustrating and disruptive in the workplace. Take Lawrence Sher, for example, who’s the cinematographer for the Todd Phillips sequel Joker: Folie à Deux. During a recent podcast interview, Sher discussed feeling alienated by Gaga due to the star’s request to be called ‘Lee’ during filming.

“I didn’t know Stefani at all,” said Sher, referring to the pop superstar’s icon’s born name, “Stefani Germanotta.” “Strangely, I felt like I never even met her, even during the makeup/hair tests. Because again, maybe it was my philosophy of not trying to get in their space. And then I remember for a week, being like, god, I feel like we are disconnecting. Not even connecting. We are like on opposites. And I would say to my crew, ‘Jesus, I can’t, like, crack it. She either hates me or we hate each other. There’s something weird going on here.’ I barely said anything, except I would say, ‘Stefani, this is where your second team was, minor little things,’ and then the AD [assistant director] at one point said, ‘Oh you know, Stef would like if you just called her Lee on set.’ And I was like, oh, 100 percent, and I literally said, the next thing I said, was something ‘Lee,’ and it was like everything changed. From that point on, it was like she was… our whole connection changed. I was like, alright, cool.”

Asking people to call her ‘Lee,’ short for Harley, is one of Gaga’s ways of remaining in character even when cameras stop rolling. While a nickname doesn’t sound too harsh a request, even slight changes in perspective can alter relationship dynamics in unpredictable ways.

Joaquin Phoenix reprises his disturbing role as Arthur Fleck, a tortured comedian who transforms into a killer after being rejected by Gotham and its people. Lady Gaga plays Harley Quinn in the sequel, with a portion of the film taking place in Arkham Asylum, a fortified prison masquerading as a hospital for Gotham’s criminally insane population.

Other stars attached to Joker: Folie à Deux include Brendan Gleeson, Cathrine Keener, Jacob Lofland, and Zazie Beetz, who reprises her role as Sophie Dumond from the original film.

“Joker: Folie à Deux” director of photography Lawrence Sher says Lady Gaga opted to be called “Lee” on set. pic.twitter.com/Rv32mOHBrY

— Lady Gaga Now 🃏 (@ladygaganownet) July 20, 2023

What do you think about Lady Gaga’s request to be called ‘Lee’ on the Joker: Folie à Deux set? Is it a harmless byproduct of method acting or a disruptive distraction capable of generating unease in the workplace? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Joker: Folie à Deux will hit theaters on October 4, 2024.

William Friedkin’s final movie, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial is a great actor’s showcase for Kiefer Sutherland and Jason Clarke.

PLOT: A Naval officer (Jake Lacy) is on trial for mutiny. His court-appointed attorney (Jason Clarke) must prove that his captain (Kiefer Sutherland) was dangerously unbalanced and that mutiny was the only solution to protect the crew.

REVIEW: The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial is an interesting final film for the late William Friedkin. While most know him for his seventies epics, having directed at least three or four of the greatest films ever made (The French Connection, The Exorcist, Sorcerer and To Live and Die in L.A), many don’t know that he started his career with a couple of films based on stage plays: The Birthday Party and The Boys in the Band. His most recent work, Bug and Killer Joe, were also stage adaptations (of works by Tracy Letts), but The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial is more traditionally mounted than those. This is basically a stage play put to film, with no exteriors, no music and only two sets.

The play was written by Herman Wouk in 1953 and was adapted from his own novel, “The Caine Mutiny”. That book was turned into a classic film starring Humphrey Bogart as the neurotic Captain Queeg. Kiefer Sutherland, who plays the role here, seems to be nodding towards Bogey’s performance a bit here, without ever resorting to an impression.

Going into The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, you have to keep your expectations in check. This is an actor’s showcase, with Friedkin mounting it in a no-frills kind of way. Yet, you can feel his passion for the material, which is understandable. Captain Queeg is a classic anti-hero in that he’s a problematic, flawed man who – despite being wrong – deserves some measure of respect. If you read some of Friedkin’s more infamous stories from on-set, including filming the French Connection chase without permits and slapping a priest while making The Exorcist, you can guess that Friedkin perhaps sees much of himself in Queeg. Yet, his work stands the test of time like few other directors because he always had loyalty from his collaborators, which Queeg never had. The mutiny itself was justified, but, as the play and earlier film always presented, it was wrong in many ways.

Two powerhouse performances anchor the film, Sutherland’s and Jason Clarke’s as defence attorney Barney Greenwald. In the original movie, as played by Jose Ferrer, he was a supporting character, but in the play – and here – he’s the star. Greenwald’s big speech at the end of the film drives home the whole idea, culminating in a climactic act punctuated by the movie’s only song – Boz Scaggs’ Lowdown. The rest of the cast is filled out with a bunch of pros, including Lance Reddick in his final screen performance as the head of the military tribunal. Lewis Pullman, a dead ringer for his father Bill, plays Tom Keefer, the manipulative officer who pulled the strings of his more thick-headed superior, Jake Lacy’s Maryk, who comes off far less sympathetic here than he does in other versions of the story.

Notably, Friedkin has updated the story to 2023. The original play was set in the Second World War, but here Queeg is in a very modern Navy, with the prosecuting attorney female (excellently played by Monica Raymund) and Queeg, a veteran of heavy combat in Iraq. Yet, the play is timeless enough that only a little needed to be changed, with Friedkin penning the updated script, which uses a lot of Wouk’s dialogue.

While more of a filmed play than a feature, Friedkin still gives his audience plenty of substance to chew on while providing Sutherland and Clarke excellent showcases for the kind of “big” acting neither gets a chance to do much of these days. Ironically, the film drops on Paramount Plus the same day The Exorcist: Believer hits theaters. Even in his old age, Friedkin was defiantly himself and has made precisely the film he wanted to make. While it won’t be confused with one of his masterpieces, it’s still well-assembled and expertly acted by all involved.

The Caine Mutiny Court-Marital is now streaming on Paramount Plus.

7

Fast Charlie, the final film starring James Caan, gets U.S. distribution after Vertical snaps up the rights to the action film adaptation.

Vertical is springing into action by snagging the U.S. distribution rights for Fast Charlie, the final film starring the late James Caan. Pierce Brosnan and Morena Baccarin lead the cast, with the film making its world premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival on October 7. Fast Charlie takes inspiration from Victor Gischler’s 2001 novel Gun Monkeys. 

Here’s a synopsis for Gischler’s novel via Amazon:

Charlie Swift is an old school kind of guy. Runs a tight ship. Respects his boss. Takes care of his mom and kid brother. And, he’s a stone cold killer. When a fancy new-wave hood, hungry for the primo Orlando territory Charlie enforces, offs most of Charlie’s boys in a bloody mob takeover, our man steps in to make things right. But when word gets out that his boss has gone missing and there’s a traitor among his crew of gun monkeys, Charlie knows payback ain’t gonna be easy. Shot up, boozed up, and beaten up, Charlie finds the toughest challenge he’s ever had to face isn’t snuffing out life, but preserving it.

In Fast Charlie, the fixer encounters a problem. The target he’s killed is missing their head, which makes getting paid for the job difficult. Charlie needs to prove the body of his target is legit to the person who ordered the hit, Beggar Mercado (The Wire’s Gbenga Akinnagbe). To do this, Charlie enlists the help of Marcie Kramer (Baccarin), the victim’s ex-wife and a woman with a backbone and a specific set of valuable skills. Pulling Marcie back into a past she intends to leave behind, the mission sends the duo on an unhinged journey as they fight to protect the legacy of Charlie’s best friend and mentor, Stan Mullen (Caan) while bringing down Beggar and his entire operation. (via Deadline)

Phillip Noyce (Salt) directs from a script by Richard Wenk (Equalizer franchise), with Toby Huss (Copshop) and Sharon Gless (Burn Notice) also leading the cast.

“Richard Wenk’s adaptation of Victor Gischler’s thriller novel, ‘Gun Monkeys,’ coupled with Phillip Noyce’s keen direction, brings us into a fast-paced world where loyalty, commitment, and doing what’s right still matter,” said producer Daniel Grodnik. “The relationship between Pierce Brosnan and Morena Baccarin is as surprising for them as it is for the audience which makes for a lot of fun.”

What do you think about the premise for Fast Charlie? Have you read Gischler’s novel? What did you think of it? Let us know in the comments below.

Romeo Must Die and Doom director Andrzej Bartkowiak is set to direct the supernatural thriller The Dire Wolf

Andrzej Bartkowiak got his start in the entertainment industry working as a cinematographer, working on such films as Terms of Endearment, Prizzi’s Honor, Twins, Falling Down, Speed, Species, Dante’s Peak, The Devil’s Advocate, U.S. Marshals, Lethal Weapon 4, Thirteen Days, and Trespass. But back at the turn of the century he also got into directing, working mainly in the action genre: Romeo Must Die, Exit Wounds, Cradle 2 the Grave, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, Maximum Impact, Dead Reckoning. His most well-known movie, for better or worse, may be the action horror video game adaptation Doom. Now Deadline has announced that Bartkowiak is treading back into horror territory, as he has signed on to direct the supernatural thriller The Dire Wolf.

Coming our way from Steelyard Pictures, The Dire Wolf has a screenplay written by Ry Cook and is expected to start filming in New Mexico soon, aiming for a 2024 release. The story centers on Hank Whitmore, a sharp and stubborn New Mexican sheriff who aligns with the Navajo Nation when a series of supernatural events threatens his family, his town, and his way of life.

The film is being produced by Leone Marucci alongside Tetrad Studios’ Roy Scott Macfarland, Legacy Media Ventures’ Jeffrey Katz, and Randy Mendelsohn. Matthew Coates and Kenneth Heilfron serve as executive producers.

Marucci provided the following statement: “American cinema has long wrestled with our native culture’s spiritual connection to the natural world. The extinct Dire Wolf was [once] indigenous to North America. Today the wolf spirit symbolizes trust of intuition, guardianship, and the courage to walk one’s own path. We’re thrilled to enlist such a renowned filmmaker to bring The Dire Wolf to the screen.“

How does The Dire Wolf sound to you? Are you interested in seeing a new supernatural thriller from the director of the Doom movie? Share your thoughts on Andrzej Bartkowiak taking the helm of this project by leaving a comment below.

I can’t say I’ve been blown away by any of the Bartkowiak directorial efforts that I’ve seen, but I’m interested in seeing how The Dire Wolf is going to turn out.

The Exorcist: Believer is now playing in theaters, so let us know what you thought of the horror sequel in the comments!

What an excellent day for an exorcism… again. For the first time in nearly twenty years, The Exorcist franchise has returned to the big screen with The Exorcist: Believer, which is expected to be the first of a brand-new trilogy. The new film serves as a direct sequel to the 1973 original and features the return of Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil.

“Since the death of his pregnant wife in a Haitian earthquake 12 years ago, Victor Fielding has raised their daughter on his own,” reads the official synopsis for The Exorcist: Believer. “But when Angela and her friend Katherine, disappear in the woods, only to return three days later with no memory of what happened to them, it unleashes a chain of events that will force Victor to confront the nadir of evil and, in his terror and desperation, seek out the only person alive who has witnessed anything like it before: Chris MacNeil.” In addition to Ellen Burstyn, The Exorcist: Believer also stars Leslie Odom Jr., Ann Dowd, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz, Lidya Jewett, Olivia Marcum, and more. The film was directed by David Gordon Green, who also helmed the Halloween trilogy, from a script he co-wrote with Peter Sattler.

The sequels (and prequels) which followed the original Exorcist were fairly hit or miss, and unfortunately, The Exorcist: Believer is shaping up to be the latter. While the film is expected to have a fairly decent box-office opening, the reviews haven’t been kind. In his review, our own Chris Bumbray said that the sequel is an abysmal, dull attempt to relaunch the franchise. “It’s supposed to be the first entry in a new trilogy of Exorcist films, but the movie is so abysmal one shouldn’t hold out too much hope for a follow-up,” Bumbray wrote. “While it may have a strong box-office opening, word of mouth seems sure to be dire. The only thing that saves Exorcist: Believer from being called the worst Exorcist movie ever is the fact that this particular series has some very bad entries.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s review right here.

Universal and Blumhouse have already slated another sequel, The Exorcist: Deceiver, which is set to hit theaters on April 18, 2025, but the reception towards this one could change things. The film is currently sitting at 21% on Rotten Tomatoes, which surprisingly places it in the middle of the pack, above Exorcist II: The Heretic at 9% and Exorcist: The Beginning at 11% but behind Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist at 30%, The Exorcist III at 58%, and The Exorcist at 78%.

Let us know what you thought of The Exorcist: Believer in the comments below!