Movies
Screen Gems Making Horror a Top Priority; Gary Dauberman on Board to Develop Feature Films
Sony’s Screen Gems, behind recent horror movies including Insidious: The Red Door, The Pope’s Exorcist and The Invitation, is looking to make an even bigger mark on the horror space, The Hollywood Reporter informs us tonight. On that note, they’ve signed Gary Dauberman (Salem’s Lot) to a first-look deal for the purposes of developing feature films in the genre.
THR notes, “The move comes as Sony seeks to rebuild Screen Gems, its division focused on lower-budgeted fare, into a more productive label, with horror being a top focus.”
As part of the deal, Gary Dauberman is said to be “creating projects for himself,” while also “curating a slate featuring established and up-and-coming filmmakers.”
“Involved in some of the biggest horror franchises in the last 10 years, Gary has an extraordinary ability to create and build out terrifying worlds and create a visceral experience through thoughtfully crafted story and characters,” Screen Gems’ Ashley Brucks said. “He’s a force in the horror genre space and we are thrilled to be partnering with him at Screen Gems as he continues to come up with new and creative ways of entertaining and scaring audiences.”
“I am thrilled to be part of the exciting new chapter of horror at Sony Pictures and Screen Gems,” Dauberman said in a statement of his own. “I’m truly inspired by Ashley’s energy, instincts, and vision for the genre space, and I thank Josh and Sanford for their trust and support, and their commitment to horror fans.”
Gary Dauberman has been a fixture in the horror space for several years now, writing horror hits including IT (2017), The Nun and IT: Chapter Two. He made his directorial debut with Annabelle Comes Home in 2019, and he more recently directed the remake of Stephen King’s horror novel Salem’s Lot that remains without any sort of release strategy at this time.
The legend of the Frogman has taken the horror community by storm this year, and we’re excited to announce that the viral found footage hit is coming soon to SCREAMBOX.
Frogman will be streaming on SCREAMBOX beginning June 7, 2024!
Additionally, Dread Central reports this morning that Frogman 2 is in the works. Rotting Press and director Anthony Cousins are re-teaming for the upcoming sequel, which was teased with an early piece of poster art (see it on Dread) and an announcement video (below).
In Frogman, “In the summer of 1999, a 12-year-old named Dallas Kyle captured footage of the mythical Frogman, but no one believed it was real. Twenty years later, Dallas, now an amateur filmmaker struggling to turn his passion into a career, returns to Loveland with friends Amy and Scotty determined to obtain irrefutable proof that the Frogman exists.
“But what starts as an innocent documentary soon turns into a Lovecraftian nightmare as Dallas uncovers the horrific secrets hidden beneath Loveland’s idyllic surface.”
Nathan Tymoshuk, Chelsey Grant, Benny Barrett and Justen Jones star.
Meagan Navarro wrote in her mini review out of Popcorn Frights 2023, “Director Anthony Cousins takes on the cryptic Frogman via found footage in his feature directorial debut, co-written with John Karsko. In it, a trio of friends embarks on one final filmmaking hoorah before life takes them in separate directions. But in their bid to make one last attempt to capture the elusive cryptid Frogman on camera, they find far more than they ever bargained for.”
“Frogman adheres to the standard found footage blueprint and tropes, drawing heavily from The Blair Witch Project and Willow Creek as the trio starts by interviewing Loveland, Ohio, locals about their town’s cryptid mascot,” Meagan’s review continues. “Friction between the friends gets brought to the surface as they get closer to the truth. While Cousins’ debut doesn’t offer any narrative surprises and makes strange style choices for the camera, it makes up for it with impressive creature effects. The more the humans invade the Frogman’s turf, the more delightfully weird and gnarly things get. It’s an SFX showcase with delightfully deranged mythology that makes this one worth the price of admission.”
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