Director John Michael McDonagh is planning to make a trilogy of Fear Is the Rider thrillers, and star Abbey Lee just got several co-stars

Nearly three years have passed since it was first announced that Abbey Lee (Old) and Christopher Abbott (Possessor) had signed on to star in the Australian Outback thriller Fear Is the Rider, which is coming to us from John Michael McDonagh, the BAFTA-nominated writer/director of the 2011 film The Guard… and while the project has lost Abbott in that time, it’s still alive, and Abbey Lee is still attached to star in it. Deadline reports that Lee has now been joined in the cast by Ben Mendelsohn (Star Wars: Rogue One), Toby Wallace (The Bikeriders), and Eliza Scanlen (Babyteeth). Film Constellation and CAA Media Finance will be seeking distribution deals at this week’s American Film Market.

McDonagh’s plan is to make a trilogy of Fear Is the Rider thrillers – and if you look at the synopses provided, you’ll see that the current version of the film is much different from the one that was announced in early 2022. The film will follow a lone woman, searching for her missing mother, who is pursued into the Australian Outback by a terrifying family of serial killers, with only an ex-con and a young girl willing to help her. When the project was first announced, this was the synopsis: John Shaw, a photojournalist, arrives in Australia trying to recover from his experiences reporting on the Vietnam War. After meeting a young woman in a small-town bar, he decides to detour into the Outback to photograph cave paintings. Out there, under the baking sun, people can die within hours. But the elements are not the most hazardous thing in the bush, and Shaw and his mysterious companion soon find themselves caught up in an unrelenting fight for survival.

The differences in these descriptions aren’t due to the script evolving over the years. It’s because the Fear Is the Rider that was announced in 2022 is now intended to be the second installment in this trilogy and will sport the title Fear Is the Rider: Australia Day. That sequel will be based on a novel written by Wake in Fright author Kenneth Cook, and that’s where the title Fear Is the Rider came from.

The Fear Is the Rider that McDonagh will be making first is actually based on the novel The Hunted by Gabriel Bergmoser – and that book has a sequel called The Inheritance, so I wonder if McDonagh is going to work that one into the trilogy as well. Whatever the case, Fear Is the Rider also stars Daniel Henshall (Mickey 17), Brenton Thwaites (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales), Thomas Turgoose (This is England), Rhys Wakefield (The Purge), Shane Jacobson (The Bourne Legacy), Susie Porter (Gold), and Jacqui Purvis (Home and Away). Deadline adds that the project is meant to be “a nod to the gore-drenched Ozploitation slashers of the 1970s.” Which sounds great to me.

As for the follow-up, Fear Is the Rider: Australia Day, that was said to be a “chase thriller” that’s like “Duel meets Picnic at Hanging Rock.“

The first Fear Is the Rider is being produced by McDonagh and Elizabeth Eves for House of Un-American Activities, Trevor Matthews and Nick Gordon for Brookstreet Pictures, and Kate Glover. Filming is expected to begin in Australia in early 2025.

What do you think of the Fear Is the Rider trilogy plans? Do these stories sound interesting to you? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan are joining The Weeknd for the unique, musically-charged suspense thriller Hurry Up Tomorrow

Here’s something a little different. Today, Lionsgate announced that it landed the worldwide theatrical rights to the suspense thriller Hurry Up Tomorrow, the first feature film from Grammy-winning artist The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye). The feature-length project serves as an extension of The Weeknd’s upcoming album of the same title. Hurry Up Tomorrow is the film’s score, orchestrated by The Weeknd and Daniel Lopatin. Tesfaye won’t approach this ambitious project alone. Trey Edward Shults directs Hurry Up Tomorrow from his script, with Jenna Ortega (Wednesday, X, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) and Barry Keoghan (Saltburn, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Eternals) leading the film.

Expressing his enthusiasm for the film, Adam Fogelson of Lionsgate said, “Abel is a visionary whose art cannot be confined by any single medium. With Hurry Up Tomorrow, in partnership with Trey, his musical universe expands onto the big screen with a psychological thriller that will usher in a new cinematic experience for fans. We are thrilled to be bringing it to audiences worldwide.”

According to Lionsgate, Hurry Up Tomorrow is “the culmination of his trilogy of studio albums, following the blockbuster hits Dawn FM (2022) and After Hours (2020). This third album represents the creative apex of the project, serving as the final chapter crafted with existential and self-referential themes and accompanied by visionary teasers that have set fans ablaze with anticipation for this concluding installment.”

Tesfaye’s Manic Phase and Reza Fahim produce, along with the late Kevin Turen and Harrison Kreiss. It is executive produced by Jenna Ortega, Trey Edward Shults, Michael Rapino, Ryan Kroft, Wassim “Sal” Slaiby, and Harrison Huffman.

Earlier this year, multi-hyphenate artist Donald Glover released Bando Stone & The New World, the soundtrack for his sci-fi film of the same name. In the bizarre action film, Glover plays Bando Stone, a famous musician navigating a world empty of people. He meets a woman and her child, and together, they journey through a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world.

The Weeknd is, without question, one of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. You can’t surf the Fortnite shop without seeing his skin pack every few weeks, and he gave society one of its best memes/gifs, thanks to his Super Bowl performance. Oh, yeah, and he’s sold over 75 million records, including seven diamond-certified #1 singles and the world’s biggest-selling record of all time. Not too shabby.

Would you believe I’ve never heard his music until today? I’m listening to Dawn FM right now, and it’s groovy AF. Are you intrigued by The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow? Let us know in the comments section below.

Scream Factory has unveiled the list of extras that will be found on their 4K and Blu-ray release of Mike Flanagan’s Hush

Filmmaker Mike Flanagan believes that “Physical media is critical,” which is not a belief that was shared by his former employers at the Netflix streaming service. Flanagan recently said that he tried very hard to get Netflix to release the work he did for them on Blu-ray and DVD, but they “refused at every turn.” But while several Flanagan projects remain on Netflix and aren’t available on physical media, he did confirm earlier this year that he has taken his 2016 film Hush away from the streaming service so he can give it a long-awaited physical media release. The 4K UHD and Blu-ray release is coming from Scream Factory on November 26th (copies are available for purchase at THIS LINK) – and they have just revealed that this physical media release of the movie is going to be packed with extras!

Hush has the following synopsis: After losing her hearing as a teenager, author Maddie Young has lived a life of isolation fully retreating into her now silent world. When the masked face of a psychotic killer appears in the window of her secluded home, she must push herself beyond her mental and physical limits in order to survive the night. Kate Siegel stars alongside John Gallagher Jr., Michael Trucco, Samantha Sloyan, and Emma Graves.

Here’s the list of extras that will be found on the 4K and Blu-ray release, which includes a “Shush Cut” that’s in black & white and has no musical score:

Disc One (4K UHD, ORIGINAL VERSION): – NEW 2024 “Shush Cut” Audio Mix – NEW 2024 4K Restoration Supervised And Approved By Director Mike Flanagan – NEW Audio Commentary With Mike Flanagan, Actor & Co-Writer Kate Siegel, And Actors Samantha Sloan, John Gallagher, Jr., And Michael Trucco.

Disc Two (4K UHD, “SHUSH CUT”): – NEW 2024 4K Restoration – B&W “SHUSH CUT” Supervised And Approved By Mike Flanagan – NEW Audio Commentary With Mike Flanagan And Kate Siegel – NEW 2024 “Shush Cut” Audio Mix

Disc Three (Blu-ray, ORIGINAL VERSION & “SHUSH CUT”): – NEW 2024 4K Restoration Supervised And Approved By Mike Flanagan – NEW Audio Commentary With Mike Flanagan, Kate Siegel, Samantha Sloyan, John Gallagher, Jr., And Michael Trucco (Original Version) – NEW 2024 4K Restoration – B&W “Shush Cut” Supervised And Approved By Mike Flanagan – NEW Audio Commentary With Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel (“Shush Cut”) – NEW 2024 “Shush Cut” Audio Mix

Disc Four (Blu-ray, Special Features): – NEW Feature-Length Picture-In-Picture Video Commentary Eith Mike Flanagan, Kate Siegel, Samantha Sloyan, John Gallagher, Jr., and Michael Trucco (Original Version) – NEW Interview With Samantha Sloyan – NEW Interview With Kate Siegel – NEW Interview With John Gallagher, Jr – NEW Interview With Michael Trucco – NEW Interview With Mike Flanagan – NEW Interview With Producer Trevor Macy – NEW Interview With Composers The Newton Brothers – NEW Interview With Director Of Photography James Kniest

Will you be buying a copy of Hush on 4K and Blu-ray? What do you think of the extras that will be on the discs? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Agatha All Along showrunner Jac Schaeffer wanted to include Hulkling in the spooky series, but Marvel nixed the idea.

Marvel Studios last Wednesday conjured the final two episodes of Agatha All Along on Disney+, delivering one of the superhero studio’s most satisfying series yet. Not knowing what to expect, the WandaVision spinoff, starring Kathryn Hahn as the witch Agatha Harkness, presented fans with a spooky series that pushes the boundaries of any Marvel-related content. While Agatha’s journey along the Witch’s Road is filled with twists, tragic romance, and self-discovery, it almost featured another fan-favorite character, Hulkling, but Marvel said no.

According to Agatha All Along showrunner Jac Schaeffer, there were early talks about Billy’s boyfriend Eddie (Miles Gutierrez-Riley) being named Teddy, as in Teddy Altman, aka Hulkling. While fans of the green-skinned Young Avenger would have popped for the character’s inclusion, Marvel shut the idea down for unclear reasons. I could speculate why Hulkling was left out of the show, but Jac Schaeffer is a far better source:

“There were early conversations [about Hulkling],” Schaeffer told Entertainment Weekly. “[Eddie] was originally called Teddy because we were looking at the artwork and thinking about that. That was a Marvel decision to not have him be Hulkling for the purposes of our show. Within our show, he is not Hulkling…but we pivoted to Eddie because he is named after a person that is important to the writers’ room. It wasn’t sort of teasing the fans, it was one of those lovely tributes to somebody who matters to us.”

If the after-credits scene for The Marvels is any indication, Marvel Studios plans to introduce the Young Avengers at some point, seemingly led by Iman Velani’s Kamala Khan. In this case, Marvel could see introducing Teddy in Agatha All Along as a misstep for the character. Considering his importance to the team and intimate ties to Joe Locke’s Wiccan, Marvel could have a more significant introduction in mind. I’m not sure Hulkling would have fit into Agatha All Along, given that the trek along the Witch’s Road covers most of the show’s runtime. Teddy is a big deal, and I understand why the studio might want to save him for another title or opportunity.

Do you think Teddy would have been a great addition to Agatha All Along? Does Marvel already have their hands full with Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk set to debut in Captain America: Brave New World? Let us know in the comments section below.

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.

Isabelle Fuhrman will be reprising the role of Esther in the newly announced Orphan 3, directed by William Brent Bell

The fact that we received a prequel to the 2009 thriller Orphan in 2022 was mind-boggling – especially since the surprisingly entertaining Orphan: First Kill still starred Isabelle Fuhrman as Leena Klammer / Esther, an adult serial killer from Estonia who is able to pass herself off as a 9 year old kid. Looking 9 was easy for Fuhrman when she made the first movie, because she was a child at the time… but now she’s an adult, and the filmmakers had to try to figure out how to make her look like a kid again for the prequel. It worked well enough, and the movie went over well enough with viewers (you can read our review HERE), that we started hearing rumblings of an Orphan 3 around the end of last year – and now it’s official. Lionsgate has announced, via Variety, that they’ve officially given the greenlight to Orphan 3!

This sequel is coming our way from the Orphan: First Kill team of director William Brent Bell and writer David Coggeshall. Their previous team-up had the following synopsis: Esther’s terrifying saga continues in this thrilling prequel to the original and shocking horror hit, Orphan. After orchestrating a brilliant escape from an Estonian psychiatric facility, Esther travels to America by impersonating the missing daughter of a wealthy family. Yet, an unexpected twist arises that pits her against a mother who will protect her family from the murderous “child” at any cost. Details on the new film have not been revealed, but it has been confirmed that Fuhrman is coming back as Esther again.

Lionsgate is working with Dark Castle Entertainment and Alex Mace of Gnosis Films to bring Orphan 3 to us. Norman Golightly, Co-CEO of Dark Castle Entertainment, provided the following statement: “Dark Castle is excited to announce another terrifying chapter in the Orphan saga. With the past success of the first two movies and another thrilling storyline, we are confident that Orphan 3 will be a must-see movie for both current fans of the franchise, and new fans alike.” David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, the writer of the original Orphan, serves as an executive producer.

Are you glad to hear that we’ll be getting an Orphan 3 with Isabelle Fuhrman back as Esther? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.

About the Author

Cody is a news editor and film critic, focused on the horror arm of JoBlo.com, and writes scripts for videos that are released through the JoBlo Originals and JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channels. In his spare time, he’s a globe-trotting digital nomad, runs a personal blog called Life Between Frames, and writes novels and screenplays.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 director Jeff Fowler says Keanu Reeves wanted to create a “very fan-faithful version” of Shadow.

I continue to be surprised at just how well the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has done. Sure, the series didn’t get off to the best start with the Sonic who emerged from the depths of hell, but the production was able to turn things around and deliver two very successful films (plus a Knuckles TV series) with a third on the way. Speaking of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the upcoming sequel will bring Shadow into the series, and he’ll be voiced by none other than Keanu Reeves.

During a Q&A for Sonic Revolution’s Shadow Revolution stream, director Jeff Fowler had nothing but praise for Reeves’ work on the film, adding that he did his homework and came very prepared. “It’s so awesome that we got Keanu Reeves to voice the character and he was so fantastic to work with,” he said. “He thinks the character is awesome and he definitely understood what we were going for and he was very excited to do his version of it. Like all the cast, [he] really wants to get it right and really cares.“

Fowler continued, “He would give us so many different versions of line readings and just want to keep going. It was not sort of showing up and reading the script into a microphone. He really wanted to create a very fan-faithful version of the character. He did research. In our first meeting, he very clearly had gone and done his homework, which was awesome. I can’t say enough wonderful things about Keanu and what he brought to the character and the experience of making this movie. I think people are going to really, really love his version of Shadow.“

A new look at Shadow from Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has also been released, which you can check out below.

Outer Banks has been renewed for a fifth and final season at Netflix, with the second half of season 4 set to debut later this week.

Deadline reports that Netflix has renewed Outer Banks for a fifth and final season. Admittedly, I don’t know much about the series other than it follows a group of attractive people searching for treasure, but I do know that it has become hugely popular for the streaming service.

In a “dispatch to all Pogues,” Outer Banks co-creators and executive producers Jonas Pate, Josh Pate and Shannon Burke explained why the time is right to bring the series to a close.

“Seven years ago, in the summer of 2017, we came across a photo of teenagers on a beach at dusk during a power outage. That photo sparked an idea for a story of four best friends who only want to have a good time all the time,” reads the statement. “From this beginning, we imagined a mystery that would lead to a five-season journey of adventure, treasure hunting, and friendship. At the time, seven years ago, it seemed impossible that we would really get to tell the whole five season story, but here we are, at the end of our fourth season, still chopping away.“

The statement continues, “The fourth season was our longest and hardest – but most rewarding – to produce. The season ends with a feature length episode, which we think is our best, most powerful episode. We hope you feel the same way. Now, with a little sadness, but also excitement, we’re putting Season Four behind us, and are turning to Season Five, in which we hope to bring our beloved Pogues home in the way we imagined and planned years ago. Season Five will be our last season, and we think it will be our best yet. We hope you’ll join us for one more paddle out to the surf break.“

Netflix has become rather notorious for cancelling shows after just one or two seasons, so five seasons is a damn good run. There aren’t too many other live-action Netflix shows which have made it that far.

It was announced just yesterday that the second half of Outer Banks season 4 will debut on November 7th. “Following last season’s 18-month flash-forward showing Wes Genrette’s proposal for the Pogues to find Blackbeard’s treasure, Season 4 takes us back in time to the lead-up of that moment. After finding the gold at El Dorado, the Pogues return to the OBX and commit to having a ‘normal’ life,” reads the official season 4 description. “They’ve built themselves a new safe haven, officially dubbed ‘Poguelandia 2.0’, where they live together and run a fairly successful bait, tackle, and charter tour shop. But after some financial setbacks, John B, Sarah, Kiara, JJ, Pope, and Cleo take Wes up on his offer, drawn back into the ‘G’ game for a whole new adventure. But before they know it, they’re well in over their heads, with dangerous new enemies hot on their heels racing them to the treasure. Meanwhile, their problems are only growing, and they’re forced to question their past, present, and future – who they really are, has it all been worth it, and how much are they willing to risk?” You can check out a review of the first half of season 4 from our own Tyler Nichols right here.

Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick will direct and star in Family Movie, a horror comedy which will also star their children.

Kevin Bacon’s next movie will be a true family affair. Variety reports that Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick are set to direct Family Movie, a horror-comedy in which they will also star alongside their children, Travis and Sosie Bacon.

Based on a screenplay by Dan Beers (Premature), the film follows “an eclectic but tight-knit family of filmmakers who suddenly find themselves in a real-life horror movie when a body turns up on the set of their latest low-budget slasher. As the production spirals comically out of control, they realize the only solution to keep filming is to cover up the murder, by any means necessary.“

The Bacon family will also produce the project for Mixed Breed Films alongside Norman Golightly at Dark Castle Entertainment. “There may not be a more compelling Hollywood family than the Bacons,” said Golightly in a statement. “We can’t wait to bring their unique dynamic to the screen and then wildly turn it on its head for audiences.“

Sedgwick first spoke of the project earlier this summer, but said the DGA might not cooperate when it comes to a joint credit. “It’s very hard to get dual directing credit. If you promise the DGA that you will only direct together for the rest of your lives, then they’re more inclined to do it. But if not, they won’t,” Sedgwick said. “We’ll figure it out. But I’m very strategic. I wonder if more people will see this if it’s a Kevin Bacon film than a Kyra Sedgwick film?“ Of the foursome, Sedgwick has the most directing experience. She helmed Space Oddity, starring Kyle Allen and Alexandra Shipp, as well as TV movies Story of a Girl and Girls Weekend. She has also directed episodes of Grace and Frankie, Ray Donovan, City on a Hill, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Kevin Bacon, who got his start on the very first Friday the 13th movie, has previously explained why he enjoys the horror genre so much. “If a new horror film piques my interest, I’m front and center opening weekend … I like the experience, because when I go to a movie as a … consumer, I want to feel things. Whatever it is, I want to feel things deeply,” Bacon told Looper in 2022. “You can feel sad. You can get tears coming out of your eyes. You can laugh hysterically. You can jump. You can get scared. You can get creeped out. You can walk out of the theater with an uneasy feeling. These are feelings, and I like that. … I like to do horror because the stakes are very high, and that means that there’s good stuff to play. In life and death situations, those are good things to play.“

Sony has set a summer 2026 release date fourth Spider-Man, but the release date puts it in competition with Tom Holland’s Christopher Nolan film

With Venom: The Last Dance wrapping up one live-action Spider-Verse trilogy, Sony’s not wasting anytime in greenlighting the next Spider-Man movie starring Tom Holland. Indeed, Sony just set an Untitled Spider-Man Movie for a July 24, 2026 release date. They’re also confirming that Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton, who was originally set to direct the MCU’s now-scrapped Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, will be taking the helm as director. He takes over from Jon Watts, who directed the last three Spider-Man movies with Tom Holland.

However, there’s a bit of a wrinkle. The fourth Spider-Man movie is set to come out in theaters only one week after Christopher Nolan’s next film, in which Tom Holland is set to appear opposite Matt Damon. This strikes an odd note, as it would be strange to have two massive Tom Holland movies open within a week of each other, especially given that the star will be amid huge global press tours for both films. Part of me wonders whether or not this is gamesmanship on the side of Sony, who might be trying to send a message here…

It’s certainly possible that one of the two films could move its release date (or simply open a week apart), but given the scope of the productions and their similar release windows, it’s possible Holland may have to choose one film over the other – although hopefully, the two studios can work out the schedule. Not much is known about the Nolan film, with rumours running the gamut of it being a vampire film, a spy yarn, or even a quasi-remake of Best Movie You Never Saw favourite, Blue Thunder. 

Do you think one of the two movies will movie their release dates? Is Holland going to have to choose one over the other? Let us know in the comments. 

The free movies released through the JoBlo TV YouTube channel this week were A Wakefield Project, Blood Bags, and Painted in Blood

Last month, JoBlo Media and Octane Multimedia teamed up to launch a new YouTube channel named JoBlo TV, which hosts multiple feature films to watch for free throughout the week. The genres we’ll be focusing on at JoBlo TV are Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Thrillers – but for the month of October, we’re celebrating Halloween all month long with our JoBlotober event. It’s all horror all the time, and the latest batch of movies on the channel featured creatures and the supernatural.

The movies that have been released on JoBlo TV over the last week are A Wakefield Project, Blood Bags, and Painted in Blood. Here’s some information on each one of them:

Directed by L.A. Lopes from a screenplay by Lindsay Seim, A Wakefield Project has the following synopsis: Eric and Reese invest in a property in the little town of Wakefield. Chloe, a medium who used to live in Wakefield, returns to her roots to enlighten the new entrepreneurs on the history of the town. The property was originally owned by Nathan Cross, whose postmortem crimes stain the entire town. On a day when unprecedented solar flares target North America, Wakefield becomes the center of a temporary shift in atmospheric energies. The living are seeing the dead walk among them. As they find themselves in the heart of this nightmare until dawn, they need to face history in the flesh, and survive. Seim, who played the young Elise Rainier in Insidious: Chapter 2, stars in the film alongside Dennis Andres, Anthony Bewlz, Pedro Miguel Arce from Land of the Dead, The Exorcist‘s Eileen Dietz, and Texas Chainsaw 3D‘s Leatherface Dan Yeager, with the badass Rob Archer as the spirit of a murderous butcher.

Emiliano Ranzani directed Blood Bags and wrote the screenplay with Davide Mela and Scarlett Amaris. This one’s sort of a mixture of Urban Exploring, Vampires, Cults, Monsters, Legends, and Slashers. The synopsis: A monster stalks the corridors of an abandoned mansion, targeting those curious enough to find themselves inside. Two friends break in and discover that all exits have been sealed off. The creature that hunts them is growing hungry for their blood and there is no escape. It stars Makenna Guyler, Emanuele Turetta, Marta Tananyan, Alberto Sette, Salvatore Palombi, Denitza Diakovska, Franco Olivero, and Riccardo Leto, with Mario Cellini as The Creature.

Painted in Blood was written and directed by Aaron Mirtes, who has several other movies on JoBlo TV. This one tells the following story: Malik, an aspiring painter, takes a job as a security guard at an art museum to make extra cash. However things quickly become terrifying when the figure inside one of the paintings starts speaking to him and walking around at night. Deiondre Teagle, Deborah Seidel, Brad Belemjian, Zach Lazar Hoffman, Allison Shrum, Alice Raver, and David Ditmore star, with Dylan A. Young as The Creature. If you want to have a Mirtes marathon, we also have American Hunt, Clowntergeist, Curse of the Nun, and Ouija Craft on the channel.

To follow our JoBlo TV releases, click over to the YouTube channel and subscribe! We also recently launched a new page at JoBloYouTubeNetwork.com, where you can access all of our YouTube channels from one place.