Welcome, Atom Insider readers to the first edition of my weekly horror roundup! Isn’t chasing news headlines a grueling and exhausting task? Ever wonder where you can get all the week’s biggest headlines in one easy-to-find place? That’s why I’m here, armed with a chainsaw and machete to slice through the week’s onslaught of horror news to find the most notable happenings in our genre’s community. Let’s see what sights I have to show you… 

This week we say goodbye to a beloved Netflix zombie dramedy, get a kick out of Chucky’s savage Toy Story 4 dig, CBS renews Jordan Peele for a second season of Twilight Zone madness, and more. 

1. Santa Clarita Diet Cancelled After Three Seasons 

Alas, Victor Fresco’s episodic zombie comedy starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant will not reanimate for a fourth season. The show has garnered positive critical acclaim over three seasons and even more impressive audience scores, which once again shrouds Netflix’s executioner’s swing in a sense of mystery. No season dips below an 84% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the first season “Certified Fresh” (at 78%, also the show’s lowest Tomatometer score). I know review aggregation doesn’t paint a clear enough picture, but the outpouring of saddened fans on social media follows suit behind Netflix’s canceling of another beloved property in One Day At A Time. Maybe another provider will resurrect Sheila Hammond for a second (er…third) life of marital zombification woes and macabre wackiness?  

(Source: Dread Central)  

 

2. You Can Now Watch That High School Performance Of ‘Alien’ Online 

 

Happy belated Alien Day (4/26), Xenomorph enthusiasts! What did I get you this year? How about a video of the raddest high school theater production ever recorded? My home state of New Jersey represented horror fandom hard this year when North Bergen High produced a do-it-yourself Alien stage play complete with a Space Jockey, Chestburster, Xeno-meanie, and other physical props that eat through the competition like acidic blood. Ridley Scott was so impressed his production company funded a second encore showing so that Sigourney Weaver could surprise everyone in person. C’mon, who doesn’t love a feel-good story (about humans being murdered in space)? 

(Source: Birth.Movies.Death)  

 

3. ‘Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man’ Will Be A New Universal Halloween Horror Night Maze

 

Universal’s “Dark Universe” may be dead once again, but Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort theme parks plant Halloween Horror Nights guest amidst two warring titans of terror. This year you’ll witness Frankenstein as he encounters the Wolf Man in a maze loosely based on the 1943 film, as you follow Frankenstein into a gypsy camp and then Castle Frankenstein’s chilliest depths. Work your way through this hair-raising maze while listening to an original score composed by Guns N’ Roses ax master Slash, who returns to collaborate with Universal for another year of amplified screams. Frank and Wolfy are welcome additions alongside previously announced “Holiday Horrors” and another Stranger Things walkthrough.   

(Source: Bloody Disgusting) 

 

4. Directors And More Cast Announced for BBC/Netflix “Dracula” Show  

Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, among other credits) are plugging away at their BBC/Netflix “Dracula” series with the addition of more newly-cast talent. Jonathan Aris, Sacha Dhawan, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Catherine Schell, Youssef Kerkour and Clive Russell join a title character played by Claes Bang (The Girl in the Spider’s Web) along with the previously announced John Heffernan, Dolly Wells, Joanna Scanlan, Morfydd Clark and Lujza Richter. Since it’s a BBC production, the season will run three ninety-minute episodes (similar to BBC’s Sherlock, for those of you familiar.) Hop in your Wayback Machine for some 1897 Transylvania bloodsuckin’ in either late 2019 or early 2020! 

(Source: Variety) 

 

5. CBS All Access Renews Jordan Peele’s Twilight Zone For Season 2 

 

It was already good to be Jordan Peele, but now it’s even better. As the filmmaker and earthshaker continues to dunk on Hollywood, you can expect another collection of Peele and Simon Kinberg’s Twilight Zone stories to hit CBS All Access. I’ve already written about why horror cinema needs Jordan Peele right now, so you can assume where my thought lay on CBS’ announcement. More Peele, more power. Keep ‘em coming. 

(Source: Variety) 

 

6. Nicholas Hoult Is On The Hunt In ‘Those Who Wish Me Dead’

Nicholas Hoult has been cast in wilderness thriller Those Who Wish Me Dead, based on Michael Koryta’s novel about a “14-year-old boy who witnesses a brutal murder, is issued a false identity and hidden in a wilderness skills program for troubled teens while the killers are slaughtering anyone who gets in their way in a methodical quest to reach him.” Notables here are a cast including Angelina Jolie, Tyler Perry, and Jon Bernthal, with Taylor Sheridan (Wind River/Yellowstone) set to direct. Sounds like a bloody-good survival thriller with nature-boy implications. Notice that Finn Little has been cast as the 14-year-old main character, meaning we may be looking at a mean n’ nasty Hoult as one of the killers. 

(Source: THR)

 

7. ‘Castle Rock’ Season 2 To Visit Salem’s Lot 

Stephen King tracks well for SEO purposes, right? Well, here’s a Castle Rock S2 update! While filming location Orange, Massachusetts will once again represent Castle Rock, neighboring town Gardner, Massachusetts will be transformed into “Jerusalem’s Lot” a.k.a. ‘Salem’s Lot. Lizzy Caplan’s Annie Wilkes isn’t the only new addition from King’s catalog to Castle Rock this season! 

(Source: Arrow In The Head ) 

 

8. Bite Into The First ‘Crawl’ Trailer 

 

One thing you’ll learn about me is I love a good creature feature, especially when nature is involved. Enter Alexandre Aja’s Crawl, which pits Barry Pepper and Kaya Scodelario against an alligator (or multiple) as a Category 5 hurricane rocks Florida. Scodelario and Pepper’s characters are trapped in their flooded house, and as the first trailer shows, a scaly invader hinders their escape. Cue lots of gnashing reptile teeth and a doggie escape that BETTER TURN OUT OK FOR SWEET ADORABLE POOCHIE. In any case, Crawl looks to be extremely my jam. 

 

9. ‘The Collector 3’ Announced! 

Fans of The Collector and allies who understand The Collection surpasses Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan’s original, we must rejoice! Bloody Disgusting has officially confirmed – based on franchise star Josh Stewart’s cryptic (lol) poster tweet – that a third Collector film is on the way. Given how The Collector was originally pitched as a Saw sequel, written and directed by scribes of multiple Saw films, I’m sure “Part III” will be loaded with gruesome traps as a hobbyist killer churns bodies into pulp once more. The Collection has been begging for a follow-up – let’s just hope signature viciousness is retained over six years later.  

(Source: Bloody Disgusting) 

 

10. First Trailer For Joshua Tree Horror Flick ‘Head Count’

 

My greatest joy as a film critic comes from attending festivals like New Orleans’ upcoming Overlook Film Festival and discovering movies anew. Based on program description alone, Head Count made my “must catch” list while I’m devouring horror screenings like po’boys, but now we have a trailer that drives home even more intrigue. A very California “monstro-slasher” vibe that’s right in my wheelhouse. Those who follow me will receive a full report after catching Head Count later this month, but for now, soak in some sunburnt vacation dread. 

 

11. ‘The Head Hunter’ Is Being Reported As A Can’t-Miss Indie 

My Tribeca Film Festival coverage has preoccupied my recent free time, but John Squires has the good word on an ultra low-budget horror flick called The Head Hunter that’s making waves on a piddling $3k budget. I’ll save my own analysis for after I’ve caught up with the flick, but I encourage you to read about what medieval carnage Thankskilling director Jordan Downey cooked up while filming in Portugal and Norway. 

(Source: Bloody Disgusting) 

 

12. Don Mancini’s ‘Child’s Play’ TV Show Slated For 2020 

As MGM readies its A.I.-fritzed Child’s Play remake, Don Mancini is full-steam ahead on his original voodoo incarnation for SYFY’s announced Child’s Play television show. As a devout purist and skeptical reboot onlooker who can appreciate Lars Klevberg’s pending Christmas horror immersion, Mancini’s upcoming series has my full attention. I’ll take Brad Dourif over Mark Hamill any day when it comes to Chucky, and if Twitter is to be trusted, we now know when Charles Lee Ray will slay again! “TV series! 2020! ” Mancini tweeted in response to a curious fan, meaning 2019 is all nu-Chucky territory. Patience, my lovelies. We’ll get our Chucky back soon enough on your television screens next year. 

 

13. Eli Craig To Help Wedding Day Horror-Comedy ‘Bride And Doom’

Y’all love Eli Craig’s Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, right? If you’re like me, you wish to forget Netflix’s Little Evil as well. While we wait for further updates on a Tucker & Dale sequel, Craig has signed on to direct and co-write what sounds like a romantic horror comedy described as “My Big Fat Greek Wedding meets Cloverfield,” which is good news because Craig’s post-Omen spoof reclamation tour starts now. Plus we don’t get enough matrimony horror (stop sleeping on [REC] 3: Genesis). Did I mention NFL superstars including Drew Brees and Derrick Brooks are co-producing? Life comes at you fast, sometimes. 

(Source: Nightmarish Conjurings) 

 

14. ‘Warm Bodies’ Is Getting The Television Treatment 

Jonathan Levine’s Warm Bodies is a sweet zombie love-letter that brought Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer together under apocalyptic stars. One a walker with a soft spot (other than rotten wounds), the other a deadhead-killing human. It works in feature-length format, but now Levine – under his new Megamind production banner – wants to get episodic with this bastardization of zombie mythos and evolution of horror lore. Source novelist Isaac Marion probably doesn’t hate the residual checks that’ll follow, but I’m not sure we need another zombie show right now. Hopefully, this undead lovers’ arc differs from shows like The Walking Dead and Black Summer. At what point does “Brains!” become oversold? 

(Source: /Film)

 

15. Filming Is Underway For Surprise Threequel ‘Hell House LLC III: Lake Of Fire’

Stephen Cognetti’s Hell House LLC franchise is a prime example of terrifying found-footage on a shoestring budget. Two films have turned haunted attractions into pure evil nightmare portals, with a confirmed trilogy completer currently filming right now. Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire is slated to unite “guests” old and new who must fight for their souls as the cursed Abaddon Hotel reveals itself in full. If it’s anything like the previous films, expect some nasty scares that turn interactive Halloween mazes into a true underworld descent. Shudder’s smart to keep the Hell House LLC train rolling, as the horror-focused streaming platform will give this final installation a home. 

(Source: Bloody Disgusting) 

 

16. Horror Anthology ‘Nightmare Cinema’ Gets A Release Date 

Last year’s Fantasia Film Festival opened with a horror anthology directed by Mick Garris, Joe Dante, David Slade, Ryuhei Kitamura, and Alejandro Brugues. Mickey Rourke plays a wicked “Projectionist” who claims souls who wander into his movie theater for one final showing. The film is called Nightmare Cinema. Like most anthologies, there are highs and lows (Kitamura’s segment my MVP), but Nightmare Cinema boasts more to appreciate than hate. A June 21st theatrical and VOD release means you can rent this one from your couch while wearing pajamas. My recommendation is to do so.  

(Source: Arrow In The Head) 

 

17. ‘Deathcember’ Segment “A Christmas Miracle” Drops Poster 

This last article is for “daddy,” as they say, because I love me some horror anthologies – but you know what I love even more? Christmas horror. When I heard Deathcember would unite two of my favorite horror subgenres, my heart swelled three sizes larger. While segments are still filming and the collection is being cobbled together by Satan’s elves, we have a promotional poster for Vivienne Vaughn’s “A Christmas Miracle” (starring Barbara Crampton and Clarke Wolfe). Super chilly vibes of child endangerment and Mother Nature’s outreached hand. You’ve hooked me! 

(Source: Bloody Disgusting)

 

Last but not least, check out some new stills for upcoming horror projects!

• Zack Snyder’s back in zombie mode (his best directorial mode, in my opinion) for Army Of The Dead, and here we get a blurred vision of his undead scourge. (Source: Arrow In The Head) 
• Apparently, some of you out there dug The Boy. Cool! Here’s a look at Katie Homes getting up close and personal with Brahms in William Brent Bell’s sequel Brahms: The Boy II. Enjoy. (Source: EW) 
• You better get used to Danny Trejo appreciation on this column. I’ve tasted his tacos, gobbled his donuts (neither an innuendo), and seen every Trejo appearance possible. Check out a new pic of Trejo reprising his The Devil’s Rejects character “Rondo,” who is reported to have a substantial in Zombie’s trilogy capper 3 From Hell. He’s even got his own character poster! Gotta love Trejo, always a Mexi-Can when it comes to accepting roles. (Source: Arrow In The Head) 

And finally…

Child’s Play isn’t messin’ around with its marketing (unless you count Chucky’s Easter and 4/20 social media posts), as Woody don’t look so good after his stuffing gets torn out.