DI
BONAVENTURA PICTURES, CALIBER MEDIA, AND S. CRAIG ZAHLER TEAM UP WITH
LEGENDARY PRODUCER CHARLES BAND FOR AN ALL NEW LETHAL “PUPPET MASTER”
UNIVERSE
Full Moon Features’ iconic horror film franchise is the most successful direct-to-video series of all time
Di Bonaventura Pictures (1408, TRANSFORMERS) and
Caliber Media (DARK WAS THE NIGHT, SOME KIND OF HATE) partnered up to
option the rights to develop a brand new take on Charles Band’s cult
classic horror film franchise PUPPET MASTER. With the intention to
produce multiple storylines within this new universe, the producers have
set S. Craig Zahler (BONE TOMAHAWK) to write the first script
entitled PUPPET MASTER: THE LITTLEST REICH and expand the mythology, and
the director’s search is quietly underway.
The
film will be produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian for
di Bonaventura Pictures alongside Dallas Sonnier and Jack Heller for
Caliber Media. Charles Band will executive produce. Sonnier and Band
announced the project together this weekend on stage at the Texas
Frightmare Weekend presented by Fangoria.
"We
couldn’t be more excited to take the series in a new direction while
embracing all the practical effects and terrifying insanity that fans
of the PUPPET MASTER films love,” said Heller.
The
original PUPPET MASTER is an American horror film franchise that
focuses on a group of anthropomorphic puppets animated by an Egyptian
spell, each equipped with their own unique and dangerous device and
are represented as heroes, anti-heroes, and antagonists. Produced by
Band and his Full Moon Features label, the series was established in
1989 with the eponymous first installment, which has since been followed
by numerous sequels, comic books, collector's items and toys.
Zahler’s
completely new take on PUPPET MASTER maintains all of the brutally
inventive puppet kills infused with the comedic tendencies that made the
original franchise so popular with fans, while expanding upon Toulon’s
backstory and developing richer dialogue, characters, and narratives.
The
storyline for THE LITTLEST REICH follows a recently divorced young man
who discovers a mint condition Blade doll in his deceased brother’s
closet and plans to sell the toy at a convention in Oregon
celebrating the 30th anniversary of the infamous Toulon Murders. All
hell breaks loose at the Postville Lodge during the auction when a
strange force animates all of the various puppets throughout the
convention as they go on a bloody killing spree.
“As
a child of the 80's and 90's, I spent a vast majority of my allowance
on Charles Band-produced films,” said Dallas Sonnier, “PUPPET MASTER was
hands down my favorite, and I had the movie poster on my wall and
a giant standee in my bedroom. The chance to work with Lorenzo, Zahler,
and Band all at once on this new take is simply a dream come true.”
Sonnier
and Heller met Band several years back when Sonnier’s wife was doing
publicity work for Full Moon Features. They decided to team up on a
larger budget version of PUPPET MASTER, and Caliber took the idea to
Zahler who was also a huge fan of the original films. Sonnier knew that
di Bonaventura Pictures was looking to work with Zahler on the
right project and had experience with universe building on TRANSFORMERS,
and that company agreed to finance the script through a recently
created development fund in partnership with Film Italia.
Di
Bonaventura Pictures is best known for producing some of the world’s
biggest film franchises including TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE, as well as
genre hits 1408 and THE DEVIL INSIDE. Their next film DEEPWATER
HORIZON, a story set on the offshore drilling rig that
exploded to create the worst oil spill in U.S. history, is set to be
released in September of this year.
Caliber
Media and Zahler worked together on the recent commercial and festival
hit BONE TOMAHAWK, which stars Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew
Fox, and Richard Jenkins. The film was nominated for two
Independent Spirit Awards: Best Screenplay for S. Craig Zahler, and Best
Supporting Actor for Richard Jenkins. The film also won Critic’s Choice
for Best Picture at Sitges International Film Festival. Zahler’s next
film BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99 was just announced with Vince Vaughn
attached to star, with Sonnier and Heller producing.
Zahler is repped by United Talent Agency, Caliber Media, and Ziffren Brittenham.
