Howdy, folks! It’s Sunday, which means it’s time for the horror haul, our weekly round-up and one-stop-shop for all things horror. This week in horror news, I was finally able to reveal what I learned on the set ofAndy Muschietti’sITso we got a whole lot of new details (and a new trailer) for theStephen Kingadaptation. We also got some new details on the “nightmare” rights situation that’s keepingTales from the Cryptfrom coming back and a newAMC Visionariesdocuseries that brings usEli Roth’sHistory of Horror.
Elsewhere, Sarah Paulson has joined the cast for M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass,American Horror Story: Cultdelivers two trippy new teasers, and new trailer for Simon Barrett’sThe Templeand Syfy’sGhost Wars.
For all the horror news we’ve already covered on the site this week — and it wasComic-Conweek so there’s a lot, you can click through the links below. Then, check out other genre highlights from the week and finish it all up with a rundown of the week in horror movie trailers. For more, be sure to hit upCollider Nightmares, our round-up of thebest horror movies on Netflix, thebest horror movies on Amazon Prime, and our regularly updatedHorror Movie Release Dates Calendar. Thanks for tuning in, and sound off in the comments with your thoughts, questions, and other horror musings.
Interviews
Eli Roth Teaming with AMC for ‘History of Horror’ Series
Eli Rothis the latest filmmaker to team up with AMC for the network’s docu-seriesVisionaries. TheHostelandCabin Feverdirector will put his lifelong fascination with horror to good use for his seriesAMC Visionaries: Eli Roth’s History of Horror(working title), which will deep dive into the genere.
“I’m thrilled to be part of this incredible series. For years, I’ve wanted to create a definitive ‘History of Horror,’ a living record of the genre with interviews from all the greats, old and new,” Roth said in a statement. “Sadly, we lose more of these masters every year and with them go their stories and experiences. This show will serve as a record for future generations — fans and filmmakers alike — to enjoy. I could not be prouder to create this with AMC.”
Additionally, AMC announcedAMC Visionaries: Rap Historywith The Roots and directorAlex Gibney. The new docs join the previously announcedAMC Visionaries: Robert Kirkman’s Secret History of ComicsandAMC Visionaries: James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction.
‘Tales from the Crypt’ Rights Issues Are a “Nightmare”
Tragically, TNT’sTales from the Cryptseries is pretty much doomed, stuck in a gridlock of rights issues. The network had plans for a weekly block curated byM. Night Shyamalanwith theCryptrevival series serving as the centerpiece. Since then, the project has fallen apart thanks to overly convoluted rights structures that kept the network from moving forward on their reboot. As the time, TNT PresidentKevin Reillysaid,
“The underlying rights to the classic, vintage property are complicated. … TNT and others have been pursuing a solution for more than a year, with significant progress being made. We look forward to the potential for further active development of this valuable franchise once the clearance process is fully resolved.”
New ‘American Horror Story’ Season 7 Teasers Trigger Some Phobias
FC has debuted two new teasers forAmerican Horror Story: Cult, the upcoming seventh season in the anthological horror series from creatorRyan Murphy. In the past, Murphy has said that this season is about the 2016 election, and he appears to be drawing some connections to the way cults prey on the weakness and insecurities in others to convert their ideology. But with super creepy clown and ominous throbbing noises, because this is ASH, after all.
The two new teasers don’t really carry the cultish overtones. Instead, they seem to be targeting folks with Trypophobia – a fear of small holes, often conjured up by images of seed pods or honeycomb. And like the rise of Trump, the phenomenon of Trpophobia – which is not quite a psychological phobia, rather something closer to a shared biological revulsion – was also an idea that gained popularity by circulating online. I’m not 100% sure if Murphy is drawing those parallels yet, but I hope he is because that’s a very interesting take on a cultural horror.
Check out the teasers for yourself below.
Sarah Paulson Joins M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Glass’
Glassjust keeps sounding better and better.M. NIght Shyamalan’sSplitfollow-up is poised to pay-off the promise of the film’s final scenes, bringing back key players from bothSplitandUnbreakable, includingBruce Willis,Samuel L. Jackson,James McAvoy,andAnya Taylor-Joy.
Now, Emmy-winningThe People vs. O.J. SimpsonandAmerican Horror StoryactressSarah Paulsonhas joined the cast. The directorannounced the casting on Twitter. No details are available for the role she’ll be playing at this time, but Paulson has emerged as the kind of actress you hire because you know just how much she can do, so hopefully Shyamalan has given her something juicy.
Here’s the synopsis forGlass:
M. Night Shyamalan brings together the narratives of two of his standout originals—2000’s UNBREAKABLE and last year’s SPLIT—in one explosive, all-new comic-book thriller: GLASS. From UNBREAKABLE, Bruce Willis returns as David Dunn as does Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price, known also by his pseudonym Mr. Glass. Joining from SPLIT are James McAvoy, reprising his role as Kevin Wendell Crumb and the multiple identities who reside within, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Casey Cooke, the only captive to survive an encounter with The Beast.
Following the conclusion of SPLIT, GLASS finds Dunn pursuing Crumb’s superhuman figure of The Beast in a series of escalating encounters, while the shadowy presence of Price emerges as an orchestrator who holds secrets critical to both men.
This riveting culmination of his worldwide blockbusters will be produced by Shyamalan and Jason Blum, who also produced the writer/director’s previous two films for Universal. They produce again with Ashwin Rajan and Marc Bienstock, and Steven Schneider, who will executive produce.
Halloween Horror Nights is getting groovy. Universal Studios' annual spookfest recruits the biggest and best titles in horror entertainment and transforms them into scary park attractions and mazes, and the Starz original seriesAsh vs. Evil Deadis the latest to join the party.
Check out the press release and reveal video below:
“For the first time ever, the critically-acclaimed television series “Ash vs Evil Dead” from Starz, a Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) company, will summon Deadites to a new haunted maze at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood, beginningSeptember 15.
The “Ash vs Evil Dead” maze will transport guests into the town of Elk Grove, Mich., where they will encounter Deadites – people or objects possessed by evil demons – that have been unwittingly unleashed by Ash Williams – again. Throughout the maze, guests will come face-to-face with disturbing characters and iconic comedic and gory scenes from seasons 1 and 2 as they desperately try to escape all things evil…before it’s too late.
The STARZ Original Series “Ash vs Evil Dead” is a follow-up to the originalThe Evil Deadmovie, which has long been regarded as a cult classic since its debut in 1981. Starring Bruce Campbell, who reprises his role as “Ash Williams,” the series has amassed a huge fan base and was renewed for a third season by STARZ. Catch up on the STARZ APP.”
Trailer Trash: Simon Barrett’s ‘The Temple’; SYFY’s ‘Ghost Wars’
The Temple
“Three Americans on a trip to Japan are fascinated by a haunted temple, and, despite warnings from the villagers, decide to spend a night there.”
My Friend Dahmer
“Jeff Dahmer (Disney Channel’s Ross Lynch) is an awkward teenager struggling to make it through high school with a family life in ruins. He collects roadkill, fixates on a neighborhood jogger (Vincent Kartheiser, “Mad Men”), and copes with his unstable mother (Anne Heche) and well-intentioned father (Dallas Roberts). He begins to act out at school, and his goofball antics win over a group of band-nerds who form The Dahmer Fan Club, headed by Derf Backderf (Alex Wolff, Nickelodeon’s “The Naked Brothers Band”). But this camaraderie can’t mask his growing depravity. Approaching graduation, Jeff spirals further out of control, inching ever closer to madness.”
Ghost Wars
“A remote Alaskan town has been overrun by paranormal forces. Local outcast Roman Mercer (Avan Jogia) must overcome the town’s prejudices and his own personal demons if he’s to harness his repressed psychic powers and save everyone from the mass haunting that’s threatening to destroy them all.”
The Otherworld
“For [Richard] Stanley, the ultimate real-life horror may be just outside his door: Hidden deep within the French Pyrenees is an area known as ‘The Zone’, where a shocking convergence of ancient occult legacies may have formed a portal to other dimensions. Stanley explores this shadowland of unexplained phenomena via chilling history, disturbing interviews and unnerving footage of his own supernatural transmutation. Severin Films presents The Director’s Cut of this award-winning documentary – featuring cinematography by Karim Hussein (We Are Still Here) and an original score by Simon Boswell (Santa Sangre) – now on disc for the first time ever.”
House Shark
When Frank (Trey Harrison) finds his happy home under attack by a dangerous but largely unknown breed of shark, he’s enlists the aid of the world’s only “House Shark” Expert, Zachary (Michael Merchant), and a grizzled former real estate agent, Abraham (Wes Reid), to embark on a desperate quest to destroy the beast and claim back his life.
