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Peter Sullivan Talks Stan Lee and “The Sandman”

Published

7 years ago

October 1, 2017

When Peter Sullivan was casting around for an idea for his new film, The Sandman, he didn’t just want to make a standard boogeyman movie. In fact, after researching boogeymen from all around the world, it occurred to him that perhaps the way to go was to take a character whose lore wasn’t menacing at all and create a new monster all together.

“I don’t know if I heard the song on the radio, or how it suddenly occurred to me,” the writer/director explains. “But suddenly the idea of the Sandman struck me, and I immediately began developing the script.”

It’s not a new concept, really. The Tooth Fairy, the Gingerbread Man, Rumpelstilskin, and even Pinocchio have been given the horror treatment in the past. What sets The Sandman apart from these other films lies in the powerful little girl who brings him to life.

“From the beginning, we had this discussion about our central character, Madison,” Sullivan says. “We can give her a sinister power, but does that mean she’s evil herself? You think of her like the Incredible Hulk. The Hulk is a monster, but his human side isn’t at all.”

In his exploration of this idea, Sullivan realized that he was really writing an origin story, one that wouldn’t be out of place in the X-Men universe. The story opened a door for the director that he’d wanted to walk through for a long time when Stan Lee, himself, came aboard as a producer.

Photo Credit

“”We’ve been looking to do a project with Stan Lee for a while, now, and this seemed like just the right thing,” he says. “It basically asks the question of what you would do if you had a super power you couldn’t control and there was no Professor Xavier around to help you.”

Mr. Lee quickly agreed to the project and before long, the other necessary elements began to fall into place in the shape of two horror icons and one very special actor to play Sullivan’s monster.

“We had a working relationship with Tobin Bell from a movie we’d done together before called Ominous,” Sullivan pointed out about the star of the hugely successful Saw franchise. “He was front and center in my mind when I was writing the character of Valentine. He’s very ambiguous and Tobin plays that type of character extremely well.”

For the role of Dr. Amanda Elliot, the psychiatrist who has spent her career studying children with special abilities, Sullivan lucked out again with Amanda Wyss. The actress who broke into the horror scene with the role of Tina in A Nightmare on Elm Street, seemed a perfect fit to Sullivan. After all, the Sandman is a creature of dreams turned nightmare in his story and he and the actress both saw it as coming full circle.

It was in the casting of Mick Ignis as the titular creature, however, that the film really came together.

Mick Ignis (Instagram)

“When we were first discussing the role, we were going to use a stuntmen,” he says. “But then Mick was brought to my attention and I brought him in. After talking to him for about an hour, I just knew that he was the one who should play this role.”

Ignis, who you might have seen on “Stan Against Evil”, has a complete passion for playing creatures and brings more than expected to his roles. Sullivan praised Ignis for disappearing into the role and also for his dedication and excitement about the film.

“He loves the process. He’s like a kid in a candy store! Everyday I’m getting texts from him about something he’s seen about the film and how excited he is. He really has a terrific passion for what he does.”

When all the elements came together, Sullivan was able to create a film he can’t wait for you to see. The Sandman will air on Syfy on October 14th with a DVD release after the first of the year.

Mark your calendars and don’t miss the premiere of this fun creature feature!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC5ygditmDs

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Netflix Releases First BTS ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Footage

Published

4 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

It’s been three long years since Netflix unleashed the bloody, but enjoyable Fear Street on its platform. Released in a tryptic fashion, the streamer broke up the story into three episodes, each taking place in a different decade which by the finale were all tied together.

Now, the streamer is in production for its sequel Fear Street: Prom Queen which brings the story into the 80s. Netflix gives a synopsis of what to expect from Prom Queen on their blog site Tudum:

“Welcome back to Shadyside. In this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. But when a gutsy outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of ’88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.”

Based on R.L. Stine’s massive series of Fear Street novels and spin-offs, this chapter is number 15 in the series and was published in 1992.

FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN IS NOW IN PRODUCTION 🩸 Welcome to Shadyside High. We're gonna have a killer time. pic.twitter.com/jDl0zRa2CH
— Netflix (@netflix) April 30, 2024

Fear Street: Prom Queen features a killer ensemble cast, including India Fowler (The Nevers, Insomnia), Suzanna Son (Red Rocket, The Idol), Fina Strazza (Paper Girls, Above the Shadows), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Cinnamon), Ella Rubin (The Idea of You), Chris Klein (Sweet Magnolias, American Pie), Lili Taylor (Outer Range, Manhunt) and Katherine Waterston (The End We Start From, Perry Mason).

No word on when Netflix will drop the series into its catalog.

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Live Action Scooby-Doo Reboot Series In Works at Netflix

Published

5 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The ghosthunting Great Dane with an anxiety problem, Scooby-Doo, is getting a reboot and Netflix is picking up the tab. Variety is reporting that the iconic show is becoming an hour-long series for the streamer although no details have been confirmed. In fact, Netflix execs declined to comment.

If the project is a go, this would be the first live-action movie based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon since 2018’s Daphne & Velma. Before that, there were two theatrical live-action movies, Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), then two sequels that premiered on The Cartoon Network.

Currently, the adult-oriented Velma is streaming on Max.

Scooby-Doo originated in 1969 under the creative team Hanna-Barbera. The cartoon follows a group of teenagers who investigate supernatural happenings. Known as Mystery Inc., the crew consists of Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and his best friend, a talking dog named Scooby-Doo.

Normally the episodes revealed the hauntings they encountered were hoaxes developed by land-owners or other nefarious characters hoping to scare people away from their properties. The original TV series named Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! ran from 1969 to 1986. It was so successful that movie stars and pop culture icons would make guest appearances as themselves in the series.

Celebrities such as Sonny & Cher, KISS, Don Knotts, and The Harlem Globetrotters made cameos as did Vincent Price who portrayed Vincent Van Ghoul in a few episodes.

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BET Releasing New Original Thriller: The Deadly Getaway

Published

5 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Cameron McFarland

BET will soon be offering horror fans a rare treat. The studio has announced the official release date for their new original thriller, The Deadly Getaway. Directed by Charles Long (The Trophy Wife), this thriller sets up a heart racing game of cat and mouse for audiences to sink their teeth into.

Wanting to break up the monotony of their routine, Hope and Jacob set off to spend their vacation at a simple cabin in the woods. However, things go sideways when Hope’s ex-boyfriend shows up with a new girl at the same campsite. Things soon spiral out of control. Hope and Jacob must now work together to escape the woods with their lives.

The Deadly Getaway is written by Eric Dickens (Makeup X Breakup) and Chad Quinn (Reflections of US). The Film stars, Yandy Smith-Harris (Two Days in Harlem), Jason Weaver (The Jacksons: An American Dream), and Jeff Logan (My Valentine Wedding).

Showrunner Tressa Azarel Smallwood had the following to say about the project. “The Deadly Getaway is the perfect reintroduction to classic thrillers, which encompass dramatic twists, and spine-chilling moments. It showcases the range and diversity of emerging Black writers across genres of film and television.”

The Deadly Getaway will premiere on 5.9.2024, exclusively ion BET+.