Latest news with #AtomicMonster
Gizmodo
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
James Wan Offers a Mildly Discouraging Update on That ‘Train to Busan' Remake
Released in 2016, Yeon Sang-ho's Train to Busan proved there were still plenty of fresh thrills to be mined from the zombie genre. It spawned an animated prequel and a sequel, and nobody was surprised when an American remake, to be titled The Last Train to New York, was announced. A 2023 release date made things official… almost. Obviously, The Last Train to New York—which at one point had Timo Tjahjanto (May the Devil Take You, this year's Nobody 2) attached to direct and Gary Dauberman (It and It Chapter Two) penning the script—has yet to actually get off the ground. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, would-be producer James Wan said The Last Train to New York is still 'a passion project' for his company, Atomic Monster, while also making it sound like it's very much on the back burner right now. 'Everything about it is really exciting,' he said. 'I hope that could get off the ground eventually. Got to be honest with you, I'm not quite sure where it sits right now.' If The Last Train to New York ever happens, it sounds like horror fans should expect more of a reimagining than a remake—though you have to suspect 'zombies on the subway' will still play a big part of the story. 'Creatively, it takes place in the same world as Train to Busan,' Wan told EW. '[The zombie outbreak is] happening epidemically around the world. So if Train to Busan is this particular slice of the story in South Korea, we want Train to New York to be the one set in America.' There's been no shortage of zombie tales for the gruesomely inclined lately—28 Years Later just hit theaters—and American remakes of foreign horror hits don't always succeed. However, The Last Train to New York does sound intriguing. Are you holding out hope it'll eventually come into the station? Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Severance' Breakout Dichen Lachman Joins Rob Savage's Supernatural Horror Film For Universal & Atomic Monster
EXCLUSIVE: Dichen Lachman (Severance) has closed a deal to star alongside Jessica Chastain and Jay Duplass in Rob Savage's new supernatural horror film, based on the book Incidents Around the House by Bird Box's Josh Malerman. Character details are under wraps. Released last June, the book centers on eight-year-old Bela, who lives in a home strained by her parents' troubled marriage, only to see her life further upended by a sinister entity she calls 'Other Mommy.' When this malevolent presence emerges from her closet, persistently asking, 'Can I go inside your heart?', Bela refuses. But soon, Other Mommy's manifestations become increasingly aggressive, threatening the safety of Bela's family. More from Deadline Dylan O'Brien Latest To Join Apple's 'Being Heumann' Nicolas Winding Refn's Neon Pic 'Her Private Hell' Adds Dougray Scott, Diego Calva, Aoi Yamada, Shioli Kutsuna & Hidetoshi Nishijima To Cast Universal And Frank Marshall Developing Movie Inspired By Fitness Guru Jake Steinfeld Currently in production, the film is being produced for Universal by Atomic Monster/Blumhouse in association with Spin a Black Yarn. Succession's Nathan Elston adapted the screenplay. James Wan is producing, with Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Macdara Kelleher, Savage, Malerman, and Ryan Lewis exec producing. Alayna Glasthal is the executive overseeing the film for Atomic Monster. The film falls under supernatural horror, one of the 24 thriving subgenres identified in a Blumhouse study conducted with Sage Outcomes, which surveyed over 2,000 horror fans and experts, as discussed at the company's inaugural Business of Fear event. Lachman has earned critical acclaim and strong Emmy buzz for dual roles as Ms. Casey and Gemma in the Apple TV+ phenomenon Severance. Soon, she'll be seen starring in the second and third seasons of Netflix's live-action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Other past credits include roles in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and Jurassic World: Dominion, the latter of which led her to reprise in the animated series Jurassic World: Chaos Theory. Her body of work also includes Altered Carbon, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Raya and the Last Dragon, Animal Kingdom, Aquamarine, and Too Late. Lachman is represented by Gersh, Management Production Entertainment, and Yorn Levine Barnes. Best of Deadline 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More Men of Steel: Every Actor Who Has Played Superman - Photo Gallery 'Michael' Cast: Who's Who In The Michael Jackson Biopic
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jason Blum on Those Big Budgets for Horror Movies and Why ‘Sinners' Is the Exception to the Rule
Blumhouse founder Jason Blum has an axe to grind when he hears people say Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners' is not a horror film. Admittedly, the movie is a genre-bending period film and folk fable about the roots of blues music, but it's got vampires killing people in it, so it's a horror movie. And Blum wants you to know it. 'Sinners'' box office success — $350 million worldwide to date — has defied expectations for what an original horror film can do, and even though Blum didn't make it, it's good for his business when the genre as a whole thrives. But much of the discussion around that movie before its release was its hefty budget — a reported $90 million — that complicated its path to profitability. For Blum, he's built his empire on movies made on the cheap that can still be marketed as events, break out in a big way, and spawn franchises. But as Blumhouse has scaled up and the demand for horror has increased, Blumhouse can't make movies as modestly, and the industry too runs into challenges to continue to make horror movies work financially. More from IndieWire 'Titan: The OceanGate Disaster' Review: A Surface-Level Netflix Documentary About the Submersible Implosion Heard Around the World Tom Cruise Has Never Been Happy with His Breath-Defying Underwater Scenes, So 'Final Reckoning' Went Three Times Bigger Blum on Tuesday took the stage in Hollywood at a press event called The Business of Fear, in which he and a panel of Blumhouse and Atomic Monster associates discussed box office trends for the genre and how horror has evolved over the years, such that the genre 'horror' can't be viewed so narrowly. IndieWire asked him about 'Sinners,' a movie he says is 'one of my favorite horror movies I've seen in a long time,' and why he felt 'Sinners' was the rare exception to the rule about making horror movies work on such a massive scale. 'We are definitely not interested in doing movies with that size a budget. That said, I'm glad they had the budget that they had because I think it really helped make the movie rich and incredible and amazing; but we are not going to make horror movies at that level anytime soon, maybe ever,' Blum said in the panel discussion. 'The bigger the budget, the more strain on the creative and the more sanding down of edges. And I think, generally speaking, 'Sinners' being the exception, the product is less interesting. So we are committed to lower budgets to continue to be able to take creative risks and do interesting things, which I think is harder to do when you have more money.' Blumhouse, following its merger with James Wan's Atomic Monster, has scaled up significantly such that it needs to have 'major studio-level success,' as Blum puts it. That means $100 million+ movies, which even for Blum and Wan is rare for movies made for just $1 million. He acknowledges that an indie like last year's 'Longlegs' pulled off the feat, and films like 'Terrifier 3' came dang close, Blum said today 'it's much harder to do what we started doing 15 years ago.' 'So the way that we've addressed that is by adding a bit of money to our model; but still, by studio standards, for instance, the budgets of our movies are 60 percent off the average sticker price, actually probably more, 75 percent off, the average sticker price,' Blum said. Blumhouse has five remaining movies on its slate for 2025, all of them sequels, including 'M3GAN 2.0,' 'Five Night's at Freddy's 2,' a new 'Conjuring' movie, 'The Black Phone 2,' and 'Mortal Kombat 2.' At the event, Blumhouse also announced it's in development on 'Ma 2,' with Octavia Spencer set to return. But it's threading a needle in finding original properties that someday can be the next major franchise for Blumhouse. Together with Atomic Monster it's branching out into video games, an exciting growth area to tell other horror stories, but Blumhouse president Abhijay Prakash explained that they're positioned to adapt one of those games into a film should one break out, though that wasn't the reason it launched the division. Blumhouse also announced at the event it will be adapting another indie horror game hit, 'Phasmaphobia.' Blum is also staying true to the company's philosophy about finding good stories, things that are genuinely scary, rather than trying to stack them with stars or buzzy directors and figure out the rest later. IndieWire asked Blum about a recent viral video from Charli XCX in which she pitched the idea of a 'Final Destination' movie starring all 'It Girls,' and directed by Coralie Fargeat for good measure. Blum hadn't seen the video, but he'd want to hear a bit more. 'Generally, I am not a fan, I think no one on this panel is, of reverse-engineering movies. You never get a good result,' he said. 'It's how, unfortunately, the vast majority of movies are made, but it's very hard to get a good movie reverse-engineering it.' Blum added the studio is unlikely to again release a movie day-and-date in theaters and on Peacock as it did with 'Five Nights at Freddy's' but won't be repeating with the sequel. Horror works best in the theater, not at home, and it's the reason the genre has consistently grown in popularity and still hasn't reached its peak. He says it will lead to movies that are one day constructed very differently for theatrical than they are for streaming — not just a difference in quality or budgets — and horror is very equipped for that evolution. 'Horror, in my mind, is the only genre that you just can't get what you are going to see a horror movie for at home on TV. It doesn't work,' he said. 'The only way to be really scared is when your phone is not with you and when you are in a dark room with a lot of other people and you are fully focused on a movie. You guys try it. Watch a horror movie on streaming, and when you know a scare is coming, look away for two seconds and look back. It stops working. It's just, your suspension of disbelief is broken, and when you are leading that up to a scare, you are just not scared. It's actually made horror in cinema stronger.' Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Geek Tyrant
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Blumhouse and Atomic Monster Developing Film Adaptation of Paranormal Game PHASMOPHIBIA — GeekTyrant
Blumhouse is ready to bring the ghost-hunting chaos of Phasmophobia to theaters. Announced during their first-ever The Business of Fear event in Hollywood, the horror production company revealed that it's officially adapting the massively popular indie horror game into a feature film alongside James Wan's Atomic Monster and in partnership with the game's original creators, Kinetic Games. Phasmophobia has become a breakout title in the multiplayer horror space since its 2020 launch. Developed by British studio Kinetic Games, the first-person co-op ghost-hunting game has sold over 23 million copies globally and carved out a unique lane in horror gaming by focusing less on killing and more on surviving and communicating under pressure. While details on casting or a release window are still under wraps, this marks another step in Blumhouse's mission to turn horror games into full-fledged moviegoing experiences, after the success of Five Nights at Freddy's . The announcement came during a broader discussion about horror's evolution. Jason Blum (CEO/Founder of Blumhouse), Abhijay Prakash (President of Blumhouse), James Wan (CEO/Founder of Atomic Monster), and horror analyst/author Stephen Follows all took the stage to break down the genre's future. They say that horror is thriving because of its diversity. According to Blumhouse's own genre survey conducted in July 2024, paranormal horror is one of the most in-demand subgenres today, standing alongside slasher, survival, and psychological thrillers. Blumhouse already has a slate packed with genre-heavy hitters and it includes the upcoming M3GAN 2.0 , Black Phone 2 , and Five Nights at Freddy's 2 . Adding Phasmophobia to the mix gives them another interactive horror icon to mine for scares. It will be interesting to see the creative talent that they bring on board to adapt the film and how they will go about telling the story.
Tatler Asia
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
6 production studios making a killing in the horror genre
2. A24 Since its establishment, A24 has cultivated a niche within the horror genre that blends artistic ambition with commercial viability. The studio's approach focuses on psychological and atmospheric horror, appealing to discerning viewers seeking depth and innovation. Films such as Hereditary (2018), Midsommar (2019) and Heretic (2024) have earned both critical praise and solid box office numbers, with Hereditary grossing over US$80 million globally on a US$10 million budget. And then there's the Pearl universe, which has earned a cult following of hardcore horror fans. A24's ability to back auteur-driven projects has helped elevate the horror genre's artistic profile without sacrificing financial returns. 3. Atomic Monster Founded by director James Wan, Atomic Monster has played a crucial role in mainstream horror's evolution. Wan's own The Conjuring universe is one of the most successful horror franchises of the last decade, with multiple entries surpassing US$300 million globally. Atomic Monster combines blockbuster sensibilities with genre storytelling, extending horror's appeal to mass audiences. Wan's productions often feature high production values, tight narratives and supernatural elements that have become staples of modern horror. 4. Ghost House Pictures Co-founded by Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, Ghost House Pictures has built a reputation for making horror that's accessible, entertaining and internationally appealing. The company strikes a balance between classic scares and modern pacing, producing hits like Drag Me to Hell (2009), Don't Breathe (2016) and Evil Dead Rise (2023). These films tend to blend practical effects with clever tension-building, offering audiences a familiar but well-executed experience. Ghost House may not chase awards-season buzz, but its track record at the box office speaks to a solid understanding of what horror fans want—and are willing to pay to see. 5. Monkeypaw Productions Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions has redefined the horror genre's cultural and financial potential. Starting with Get Out , which grossed over US$255 million worldwide on a US$4.5 million budget, Monkeypaw has merged horror with social commentary in a way that resonates deeply with audiences. Subsequent releases like Us (2019) and Nope (2022) have continued this trend, combining scares with themes of identity and society. Monkeypaw's approach broadens the genre's appeal beyond traditional horror fans, contributing to its commercial success. 6. Proximity Media Founded by Ryan Coogler alongside Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian, Proximity Media has made a significant impact on the horror genre with its 2025 release, Sinners . Directed by Coogler and starring Michael B Jordan, the film blends supernatural horror with social commentary, set against the backdrop of 1930s Mississippi. Sinners has achieved remarkable box office success, grossing over US$351 million worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing films of the year so far. The film's unique narrative and strong performances have solidified Proximity Media's position as a formidable player in the horror genre. The financial success of these production houses demonstrates that the horror genre is far from a niche market. By embracing innovation, efficient budgeting and strong storytelling, these companies have established themselves as leaders in one of cinema's most consistently profitable areas. Their varied approaches prove there is no single formula for success in the horror genre, but all share an ability to turn fear into formidable returns. NOW READ 11 female directors who shaped the horror movie genre 11 cancelled TV shows we still can't stop thinking about 6 noona romance K-dramas where love blossoms against the odds
