News

In the world of Indie titles, more and more IPs are slowly showing themselves, and Closer the Distance, published by Skybound Games, is certainly one to consider for Best Indie of the Year. It’s a game that doesn’t pull any punches and shows the different ways of coping with grief in an exceptional light.

Although there are a few hiccups along the way, Closer the Distance ensures that you get the full slice-of-life sim experience, with a unique setting that is complimented by its bleak, yet hopeful, atmosphere.

Coping Mechanisms, and Character Interactions

In games like this, the focus is all on the characters, particularly in the way they all interact with each other and the environment. Closer the Distance executes this incredibly well. Right off the bat, you’re thrown into the village of Yesterby, where tragedy has befallen a normal suburban family.

The opening scene sets...

Exclusive: Mauricio Katz & Pedro Peirano have signed a two-year overall deal with HBO. As part of the deal, they will continue working as consulting producers on the second season of Perry Mason. As a duo, Katz & Peirano have developed pilot scripts for Starz, HBO and FX; and have written screenplays for Hollywood heavyweights such as Martin Scorsese and Benicio Del Toro.

On his own, Katz star has been on the rise over the past couple years most recently on HBO’s Station Eleven, where Katz served as a consulting producer. Prior to that, he co-created the global, multilingual series ZeroZeroZero for Amazon, Sky and Canal+. His other television credits include FX’s The Bridge, where he worked as a writer and consulting producer, and Cary Fukanaga’s Maniac, for which he served as a writer and co-executive producer and received a WGA and PGA nomination.

Katz is also in development...

Exclusive: The creator, executive producer and showrunner of the acclaimed HBO Max series Station Eleven, Patrick Somerville, and the series’ associate producer and editor David Eisenberg, have opened the doors to feature film and television production company Tractor Beam.

Somerville and Eisenberg first met on The Leftovers, hitting it off as friends and hoping to become eventual collaborators. They reteamed for Station Eleven, where during the long, often pandemic-induced delays, they hatched the idea for Tractor Beam, with the mission of making content that centers on the creatives and empowers them to control the filmmaking process.

Hilary Flynn and Stephanie Jacob-Goldman have been brought aboard as Tractor Beam’s VP of Development and VP of Production, respectively. Somerville currently has a deal at Paramount Television Studios.

“Our mission at Tractor Beam is to help creators get home,” said Somerville. “Streamers have opened up astounding new opportunities in television and film,...

Vital Pictures, an upstart independent production company from Chris Lemos and Luis Guerrero, will produce and distribute the World War I drama “The War Below” from director J.P. Watts, TheWrap can share exclusively.

“The War Below” stars “Peaky Blinders” and “The Innocents” actor Sam Hazeldine alongside Tom Goodman-Hill, Kris Hitchen, Douglas Reith and Sam Clemmett.

The film will be produced and distributed by Vital Pictures in the U.S., a source told TheWrap, making it the company’s third project after the horror-thrillers “Beneath Us” and “You’re Not Alone.”

“The War Below” is based on true events and centers on a group of British miners recruited during WWI to tunnel underneath no man’s land and set bombs from below the German front, all in the hopes of breaking the deadly stalemate of the Battle of Messines.

Watts, known for the short film “The Lost Emperor,” is making his feature-length directorial debut on the film.

There was a stampede of new titles opening this weekend at the specialty box office, and despite coronavirus-induced fears of being in close proximity in theaters, there weren’t any glaring slumps in the indie and arthouse space. Of the films released this weekend, First Cow made some moo-ves at the box office, earning an estimated $96,059 with a per-theater average of $24,015. Not only is that an impressive debut for the A24 title, but it marks a career-high for the talented auteur Kelly Reichardt.

The period film about a prized bovine, starring John Magaro and Orion Lee, had four exclusive runs in New York at the AMC Lincoln Square and Angelika, as well as Los Angeles at the Arclight Hollywood and Landmark. The opening was a solid start for the film that will hopefully fuel the long roll-out that will continue into spring. Reichardt has been lauded for her intimate, cinematic...

Angry, brutal, and more than a little campy, Max Pachman’s directorial debut “Beneath Us” is a thriller with a lot on its mind. Subtlety is not one of those things, but when has subtlety ever been part of a recipe for exploitation cinema?

“Beneath Us” may be brand new, but it plays like the kind of overlooked yet fascinating B-movie rediscovery that Vinegar Syndrome would dig up out of the 1970s and unleash upon a grateful grindhouse marketplace.

“Beneath” stars Rigo Sanchez (“Animal Kingdom”) and Josue Aguirre (“Veronica Mars”) as Alejandro and Memo, two undocumented workers who stand outside a lumber mill every day in Eagle Rock, Calif., looking for contracting work. Alejandro wants to save money to bring his wife and son over the border to join him. His younger brother Memo has come to America for mysterious reasons and seems to harbor a lot of mixed feelings...

Four men go missing in the horror thriller Beneath Us, which turns the American dream into a living nightmare for a couple of undocumented day laborers. Max Pachman directs this harrowing account of a kidnapping gone terribly wrong. We have the trailer and poster to check out, with the movie set to hit theaters March 6, which is this Friday.

Have you seen these four men? They were last seen outside a home repair store in Southern California. Surveillance video is currently under analysis and a Special Bulletin has gone out to surrounding areas as the search continues.

Local authorities are seeking the public's assistance in locating the missing persons. Identities unknown. Last seen soliciting work at local hardware stores in the are in attire picture above. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is encouraged to contact the missing persons unit at the main county office.

In select theaters nationwide, March...

Charles Portis, the author whose 1968 novel “True Grit” inspired two beloved big-screen Westerns, died Monday at the age of 86.

The Arkansas native had struggled with failing health for several years, according to his brother, Jonathan, who confirmed the death to the Arkansas Times.

His biggest success was the 1968 novel “True Grit,” the story of a young farm girl who hires a drunken lawman to catch the outlaw who murdered her father. They go on a quest along with a Texas Ranger to track down the villain, and on that adventure, the strength of their “grit” is tested.

The novel inspired Henry Hathaway’s 1969 film, which earned John Wayne the Oscar for Best Actor. The Coen brothers’ 2010 adaptation, starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Hailee Steinfeld, earned 10 Oscar nominations — but went home empty-handed that year.

Also Read: 'M*A*S*H' Actress Kellye Nakahara Dies After Battle With Cancer

Portis’ other work includes comic fiction like “Norwood,...

Exclusive: We’ll be seeing more of Manny in the upcoming season of TNT’s Animal Kingdom. Rigo Sanchez, who recurred as the character in season 4 of the drama, has been promoted to series regular for season 5.

In season 4, Sanchez’s Manny was the leader of a group of career criminals. He’s shrewd, ruthless, the brains of the operation and the “parent” of the crew. He appeared in 10 episodes. In season 5, the dynamics between Janine, Manny (Sanchez), and Jake (Jon Beavers) are shifting as the crew comes back together and Janine decides she wants to operate out of a little town called Oceanside.

Animal Kingdom also stars Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, and Finn Cole.

The drama, which is based on David Michod’s 2010 Australian feature film, is produced by John Wells Productions in association with Warner Horizon Scripted Television. Wells serves as executive producer on the series,...

Vital Pictures/NME will distribute its first film with Beneath Us,a “suspenseful and socially-relevant original horror story” from Max Pachman, who makes his feature directorial debut with the project. Beneath Us (opening in select theaters on March 6) features both English and Spanish dialogue and will be distributed in major Latino markets throughout the U.S.

Vital Pictures/NME is a partnership between industry veterans Luis Guerrero and Chris Lemos and the endeavor’s first film has strong LatinX representation both behind the camera and in front of it. The cast is led by James Tupper (Big Little Lies), Lynn Collins (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Rigo Sanchez (Animal Kingdom), Roberto ‘Sanz’ Sanchez (2 Fast 2 Furious), Thomas Chavira (Shameless), and Josue Aguirre (Veronica Mars).

The indie project’s synopsis: “The American Dream becomes a nightmare for a group of undocumented day laborers hired by a wealthy couple (played by Lynn Collins...

Sad that the Halloween season is over already? Have no fear, it has been extended! Check out the new Halloween shirts revealed by Terror Threads that get this edition of Horror Highlights rolling. Also: Kaleidoscope release details and trailer, Ghost Box short story collection edited by Patton Oswalt, a clip and trailer for My Little Sister, TV4 Entertainment and The Asylum's new Apocalypse streaming service, Beneath Us acquisition details, info on the new comic Rusty Revolver, and info on Christopher Michael Carter's new horror novels.

New Halloween Shirts from Terror Threads: Press Release: "Death has come to your little town! Terror Threads celebrates the night he came home with a collection of John Carpenter's Halloween apparel.

A whopping 16 exclusive, officially-licensed Halloween shirts are for sale, ranging from newly commissioned artwork to vintage production stills turned into unique shirt designs.

Michael Myers, Laurie Strode, Dr. Loomis, the Myers house, and more...

Premiere Entertainment Group has acquired worldwide rights to horror thriller Beneath Us starring Lynn Collins (John Carter, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and James Tupper (HBO’s “Pretty Little Lies”). The film seems to be a social thriller in the vein of Jordan… Continue Reading →

The post First Look: Social-Horror Beneath Us From Exec Producer Jay Hernandez Gets Poster and Stills appeared first on Dread Central.

Los Angeles-based sales, production and financing company Premiere Entertainment Group, have acquired the worldwide rights to horror thriller Beneath Us which stars Lynn Collins (John Carter, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and James Tupper (HBO’s Pretty Little Lies).

Beneath Us follows a group of undocumented workers who are hired by an affluent woman (Collins) and her husband (Tupper) to work on their house, but the workers immediately sense something isn’t right with their employers and become trapped inside the home.

Written and directed by Max Pachman. Mark Mavrothalasitis shares writing credit. Producing are Luis Guerrero and Chris Lemos for Vital Pictures (Armored). Jay Hernandez (Suicide Squad) serves as executive producer, and William Knochel as co-executive producer. The film is headed to Afm next month.

Tagline: "They Came for the American Dream. They Got a Nightmare." A few more stills have been released for Max Pachman's Beneath Us. The film is currently preparing for a showing at Santa Monica's American Film Market. Here, the title will be repped by Premiere Entertainment Group as Beneath Us searches for distribution. In this horror film, several undocumented workers are hired by a rich woman and her husband, for under-the-table work. But, this is no ordinary job and the workers are not allowed to leave the property. Beneath Us was written by Mark Mavrothalasitis. And, the film stars: Lynn Collins (The Hollow Point, 2016), Rigo Sanchez and James Tupper. An alternate movie poster is also hosted here, for the film. The latest stills show more of the film's characters. Actress Lynn Collins as Liz Rhodes is shown in one photo, shotgun in hand. Actor James Tupper is shown in another photo,...

Tagline: "The American Dream Can Be a Nighmare!" A few details have emerged, from below, for director Max Pachman's Beneath Us. The film has recently been completed. And, the film's first movie poster has been released. This title will show at the American Film Market, in Santa Monica, this November. Beneath Us stars Lynn Collins (The Hollow Point, 2016), Rigo Sanchez and James Tupper. All of the film's early details are hosted here. The story, for Beneath Us, involves a group of undocumented workers. They take a job at a remote home. Here, a wealthy couple put them to work. But, this work is bloody and hard. Will these immigrants ever be able to escape their torturers? This film was formerly titled Gringos. As well, it is expected that Beneath Us will release in 2018. Premier Entertainment is representing the film, for future distribution. And, it is expected that a trailer will be released soon.

A mother and daughter discover that getting along with each other is the least of their worries when a frightening force haunts their home in Unwanted, a new horror film that will be directed by Eduardo Rodriguez (2013's Fright Night 2).

Press Release: Los Angeles, CA (December 19, 2016) – Katia Winter (Fox’s Sleepy Hollow) and newcomer Ashley Jones will star in the horror-thriller Unwanted. Zach Avery (Fury) will co-star.

After the premature death of her estranged husband, Emma (Winter) regains custody of their young daughter Isla (Jones) and hopes to rebuild their relationship after many years apart. But when an evil entity begins to torment them, mother and daughter are forced to face the inexplicable presence that inhabits the walls of their new home.

Unwanted is directed by Eduardo Rodriguez (El Gringo, Fright Night 2) from a screenplay by Andrew Wong. Unwanted marks the first original horror film for Eduardo Rodriguez since Curandero,...