BUTLER RAISES DEAD GRRL
MADHOUSE writer/director William Butler has been signed to direct Ventana Media Groups DEAD GRRL, a black comedy/horror film written by Bruce (FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER) Sakow and Larry (TVs G.I. JOE) Hama. The story revolves around a group of spoiled teens who throw an impromptu party while babysitting at the house of an infamous mobsters wife. Unfortunately, they are unaware that the pampered pageant child they were hired to watch after is actually a reanimated and unstoppable killer from hell. Butler, who also co-wrote the two upcoming RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD sequels, describes DEAD GRRL as a combination of THE BAD SEED and THE EVIL DEAD.
James R. Rosenthal will produce DEAD GRRL for executive producers Michael Hom and Alexandra Taylor as the first of several projects slated for Ventana, including other chillers from Butler and writing partner Aaron Strongoni. Preproduction and preliminary casting on DEAD GRRL begin February 5, with lensing starting up in Los Angeles in mid-April.
‘Im the luckiest guy in the world,’ Butler tells Fango. ‘Its been such a great year, what with the release of MADHOUSE and the RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD sequels finally getting off the ground. And now I am very excited to be working on DEAD GRRL. The budget is bigger than Ive ever had, and the script is an awesome blend of black humor and great scares, which I really look forward to executing.’
A former Hollywood FX artist (before he became an actor), Butler says that DEAD GRRL will boast plenty of gruesome visuals. ‘We going to go all out and push the limits when it comes to the makeup effects, and are currently meeting with all the heavy-hitter shops. DEAD GRRL is pretty much wall-to-wall makeup gags, and I say let the entrails fly! I have a feeling that Ashley, the little demon girl in the story, will be around for a long time; shes Dakota Fanning meets the Tasmanian Devil. The snotty kids that end up her victims in the film are more than deserving of their untimely deaths. I guess Ill be living out my nerd fantasy and getting back at all the social set who tortured me as a geek in high school! I can still feel that pigs blood dropping down!’
For a preview of Butlers MADHOUSE, see FANGORIA #240, now on sale; for a first peek at his RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD follow-ups, check out Fango #241, on sale February 15.
Courtesy of Fangoria
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