Movie Tea: Bill Skarsgård Dons Clown Make-Up Again For 'IT: Welcome To Derry'; 'Five Nights At Freddy's 2' Trailer Drops
From the return of the sinister dancing clown terrorising streaming platforms, to animatronics looking for a fresh bite out of their victims – here's the latest news on horror titles coming out later this year.
Andy & Barbara Muschietti, Bill Skarsgård Return To Derry With New 'IT' Series
Even after its defeat on the big screen, the horrifying alien clown still finds its way to terrorise the people of Derry. We once again revisit the horrifying world of Stephen King with a brand new series called 'IT: Welcome to Derry', which made its trailer debut during San Diego Comic-Con.
'IT: Welcome To Derry' is obviously a prequel series, exploring the early telltale signs of Pennywise lingering about in the small town. It once again follows a rag-tag group of kids trying to unravel the mystery of the malevolent beast, but what makes it differ from the movies or the original ABC miniseries is that other adults are also aware of the clown's presence.
You can choose to write off this spin-off, as the original story is already done and dusted following the two-part movie that happened in 2017 and 2019, but there is still plenty of juicy info for you to be excited about with this series. First and foremost, the director and producer of the beloved duology, siblings Andy and Barbara Muschietti, respectively, are the masterminds behind the series. The two are joined by Jason Fuchs and the three serve as the series developers as well as its executive producers.
In even more exciting news, it has been confirmed that Bill Skarsgård will reprise his iconic role as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Though the Swedish actor has softly retired from the iconic character, as well as from monster roles as a whole, he has come back simply because the Muschiettis are the ones steering the direction of the series.
'I felt like I was done with it, in a way. It was also because I was shooting this ['Nosferatu'], I was doing Orlock, and, to me, it just felt like, 'This is the nail in the coffin of my monster roles,'' Skarsgård said. 'So I did feel I was kind of over it and wanted to do different things. Of course, the Pennywise thing as well, I've been quite defined by it. I was like, 'That's 26-year-old me. 'I'm not still a young man.''
'Then things changed. Barbara and Andy, the Muschiettis, are doing it. I love them. They're very close friends. Family, even. I'm the godfather of his son. So, I love them, and that was, 'Alright, let's bring him back.''
Skarsgård will be joining the real heroes of the story, which include Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, and Rudy Mancuso. It has been confirmed that the story will be set in the 1960s, but has a possibility to move back to 1935 or even 1908. Andy Muschietti explained that there is a reason as to why the story will move backwards – but refuses to elaborate further to avoid spoilers. We'll perhaps see more of it when it releases this coming October on HBO Max.
Animatronic Rampages Outside Restaurant In 'Five Nights At Freddy's 2' Trailer
2023 was the peak of video game movies, where big titles finally debuted on the big screen that didn't end up as commercial and critical failures — for once, people were enjoying quality adaptations of famous franchises that they only used to play. However, in some odd way, you can argue that we are still living in that era, as 'Five Nights at Freddy's' is back with a follow-up.
Blumhouse is once again taking another crack at Scott Cawthon's legendary game series with the sequel, 'Five Nights at Freddy's 2'. The trailer showcases some familiar faces, some in person, some in CG, as it further elaborates on the series' convoluted yet equally interesting lore. The sneak peek showcases the two lead characters, Josh Hutcherson's Mike and Elizabeth Lail's Vanessa, still recovering from the events of the first movie and trying their best to adjust to a normal life.
However, Mike's little sister, Piper Rubio's Abby, is still having difficulties letting go of her animatronic friends. She is still grappling with the loss of her 'friends' when she receives a mysterious message from them, inviting her to go look for and save them. This kicks off another horrifying adventure that might see the return of Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy, for better or worse. This film also showcases the titular robots out and about from their usual restaurant stomping grounds.
It has been confirmed that Emma Tammi will return to the director's chair, which essentially guarantees that we'll see a bunch of FNAF Easter eggs, much like the first film did. Alongside the aforementioned trio of cast members, this entry will feature some brand new faces, such as Mckenna Grace, Wayne Knight, Freddy Carter, and Skeet Ulrich. Naturally, being the big bad of the entire franchise, Matthew Lillard has been confirmed to reprise his role as William Afton.
If you're familiar with the games, you should already be familiar with the story by now. If you're not but would still like to avoid spoilers, you'll have to sit tight and wait for the film's full release later this year on 5th December.
Sources: USA Today, Comic Book Movie, Empire
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Borneo Post
4 days ago
- Borneo Post
Beyond pop culture and collectibles
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'It's more than just a showcase of collectibles. My intention was for it to become a gathering of people who share the same interest. 'I grew up in the 80s, and I know you and many others did as well. 'Remember those Saturday morning cartoons? It's a part of this pop culture. 'Then, I got into collecting movie posters and only much later on, I realised that I wasn't the only one. 'From there, it progressed into a business, which I established in 2016 and since then, my collectibles have grown to include action and scale figures, comics, model kits, and many other pop culture merchandise,' says this father of three girls. Musriffin's wife Ratna Dewi Kaderi, 41, remains his pillar of support, but she admits that at first, she was quite sceptical. 'It was more about me not understanding the value of these items. I used to call his movie posters 'just a pile of papers!' she laughs. 'Gradually, I began to learn more about his passion, and understand the viability of this thing being a business. 'I was actually shocked to learn that some posters could fetch prices of up to hundreds of ringgit,' says Ratna Dewi, who now manages the public relation and marketing aspects of the Pickers Zone Company – the holding group of Kuching Pickers, Kuching Comic-Con and also Kuching Collectors Mart, the flea market held in different locations around the city once every two months. Musriffin and Ratna Dewi arrange the collection of movie posters at Kuching Pickers. 'Celebration of creativity, passion, shared culture' During a break, I get to take a closer look at the items in Musriffin's shop, where I observe his team's interesting way of attending to the customers. There is no hard-selling at all. 'We highlight storytelling, much like our conversation today,' Musriffin smiles. 'This is a niche sector, but one with a quite considerable following. 'The people in this community see us as a meet-up platform, where they can share and trade out with other like-minded individuals. 'This formed the foundation of Kuching Comic-Con – being a larger-scale, more comprehensive version of this platform. 'Beyond that, it's a celebration of creativity, passion and shared culture. It brings together fans, artists, collectors and creators under one roof to appreciate the worlds of comics, games, films, and everything in between.' Photo taken at the Kuching Comic-Con last year shows a visitor snapping some shots of the exhibits on display at one of the booths. Asked further about the objective of creating Kuching Comic-Con, he replies: '(It is) because I want to bring that kind of energy and experience back home; to give our local community a space to celebrate what we already love, but may not have realised it being a part of pop culture. 'Truth is, pop culture isn't something new – it's always been here. 'Our grandparents were already into it: collecting vinyl records, trading stamps, and reading comics like Archie or Beano way back in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. 'The only difference now is that pop culture has evolved from print to screen, from analogue to digital – and it's time that we embrace that evolution here.' 'Tribute to past, present' Elaborating on Kuching Comic-Con, Musriffin hails it as 'a tribute to both the past and the present, and a step forward into the future'. 'The event might have made its debut in 2024, but planning had kicked off a year earlier. 'To be honest, I've had this in mind since I established Kuching Pickers in 2016. 'So technically, it took almost eight years of building networks, understanding the local scene, and waiting for the right moment before it all came together.' The idea behind it, according to Musriffin, was to promote Western pop culture to the public, and also to present Kuching as a hub for it not just for East Malaysia, but for the entire nation and the Southeast Asia (SEA) region as well. 'It's also meant to elevate the local communities dedicated to these ideas towards the forefront of such discussions.' 'A grand showcase' This year, the Kuching Comic-Con is set for Dec 13-14, with the main event to be staged at Pullman Hotel Kuching, while the 'Flea Market' will occupy the floors of The Hills Shopping Mall adjoining the hotel. 'It sets out to build upon the great momentum from the maiden event on Oct 19 and 20 last year, where we recorded a total of 16,843 visitors throughout the two days,' says Musriffin. This year, the organiser is expecting around 10,000 visitors for both days. Musriffin explains: 'Kuching Comic-Con 2025 will be a ticketed event, with minimal charges, so we're seeing this as a reasonable attendance number for a paid event. 'Moreover, this is more than just a specific event as parts of the proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to the Sarawak Society for the Deaf. 'On top of that, we're aiming to have a total of 150 booth participants of this convention, ranging from the main headliners, exhibitors, hobby vendors and event sponsors.' The Flea Market, however, is ticket-free. 'It will house up to 80 business operators of various kinds, including specific food-and-beverage vendors. 'As the flea market area is not inside the main hall area, it will be a ticket-free zone; therefore we expect to welcome some 15,000 visitors,' says Musriffin. Apart from collectors' showcases, Kuching Comic-Con 2025 will also host many other exciting activities such as special panel discussions; meet-and-greet sessions with artists, creators and celebrities; 'Cosplay Championship'; 'Movement, Art and Literacy (M-A-L) Experience Zone'; 'Action Zone'; 'Pop Culture Science'; interactive photo booths; as well as musical performances. There will be a 'Cosplay Championship', in Kuching Comic-Con this year. As with last year, the event this year will also feature key headliners. They are Adam John – a Malaysian musician, actor and media influencer renowned for his extensive collection of toys and memorabilia, as well as his engaging online presence; Monsta Studios – a prominent Malaysian animation company renowned for producing family-friendly and award-winning content such as 'Boboiboy' and 'Mechamato'; Dato' A Rahim Muda, professionally known as 'Imuda' – an actor, comedian, host, singer and cartoonist, whose television character 'Budin' in 'Pi Mai Pi Mai Tang Tu' forever lives in the minds and hearts of many inter-generational Malaysians; Tintoy Chuo – the visionary founder of 'Fusion Wayang Kulit', an innovative initiative that revitalises the traditional art of shadow puppetry by infusing it with contemporary elements from pop culture; and Keith Chong – a Malaysian cartoonist celebrated for his engaging and humorous comic series. Adam John is renowned for his extensive collection of toys and memorabilia. Imuda is among the headliners for this year's event. Tintoy's 'Fusion Wayang Kulit' revitalises Malaysia's traditional art of shadow puppetry. Looking ahead, Musriffin aims to make Kuching Comic-Con as iconic as internationally-recognised conventions like the Tokyo Comic-Con and San Diego Comic-Con. 'With this vision, comes the projection of having the pulling power not only for the participation of collectors groups, but also international celebrities as well as global toy companies like Hasbro, Mattel and Playmates. 'We want to attract larger crowds, which would help boost our tourism as well,' he smiles. To know more, seek 'Kuching Comic-Con Official' on Facebook. Kuching Comic-Con 2025 will be a galore of comic books, much to any hardcore collector's delight. anime comics cosplay manga pop culture
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
Foster family blues
FOLLOWING up on their critically-acclaimed Talk to Me from 2022, brothers Danny and Michael Philippou shift gears ever so slightly for Bring Her Back, the latest film to crawl out of the A24 horror crypt. Following the death of their father, Andy (Billy Barratt) and his stepsister Piper (Sora Wong) are taken in as foster children by Laura (Sally Hawkins). Opposed to being separated from each other, Andy expects their time with their new foster parent to last only three months, as once he becomes 18 years old, he will be able to take custody of his sister and live by themselves. However, once they arrive at her house, Laura proves to be increasingly eccentric, given how she has another foster child – a mute boy named Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips) whom neither siblings were informed about. Things only get worse from then on. Unlike Talk to Me, the Philippou brothers' latest is a hard tilt into slow-burn horror. Much of what and where the film is heading towards is revealed in fragments, even if it is blatantly obvious for certain fans of horror films. The same extends to the form of horror in Bring Her Back. Similar to other films under the A24 banner, the film takes a very psychological approach to horror. More impressive than the acting prowess of the film's leads is how there is no jump scare in the film, which might sound insane to more mainstream horror fans. That is not to say there is nothing horrifying by the time the second and third acts roll in. This film is a product from the minds that brought the scenes of blood and terror in Talk to Me after all. For these, the younger Phillips does some heavy lifting as he churns out a powerful performance as Oliver, warping simple acts such as eating a slice of fruit into sequences that will cause the viewer to cringe and wince. Barratt and newcomer Wong are also equally impressive. The two young actors play their roles as siblings very naturally, with how long the film spends on them and their relationship further helping viewers to connect with them before the devastation kicks off. The Philippou brothers must love the themes of not being able to move on from trauma and familial loss that they showed in Talk to Me, as it once again forms the crux of this film through Hawkins' tightrope performance as Laura, balancing between absolute sorrow and diabolical insanity. Certainly different from the made-for-mainstream horror film that Talk to Me was, Bring Her Back might not be for everyone. However, for genre purists that do not mind having their nerves slowly burned with an excellently paced and acted story, or just people that want to watch Hawkins turn in one of the year's strongest performances, the film hits the spot like a well-munched corpse.
Hype Malaysia
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- Hype Malaysia
'Bring Her Back' Review: Unnerving Thrill Ride About Grief That You Just Can't Tear Eyes Off
Horror is an old genre, arguably as old as cinema itself. In that timeframe, moviemakers have found various ways to scare folks – some hate the experience, others live for it. Naturally, filmmakers have experimented with varying techniques and sub-genres, ranging from extraterrestrial, slasher and gore, to torture porn, eldritch horror, and so on. If you're an avid horror enjoyer, you've probably seen it all and have probably even grown numb to it. But have you ever seen how terrifying a mother's love can be? That is the core theme of 'Bring Her Back,' which sees the brothers Danny and Michael Philippou return to the directorial seat for another supernatural psychological horror that is meant to disturb. while dealing with an emotional gutpunch. It stars Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Sally Hawkins, and Jonah Wren Phillips who help deliver an unforgettable (for better or for worse) cinematic experience that we can't help but feel hypnotised by. The film follows Andy (Barratt) and Piper (Wong), step-siblings who were moved to foster care following the accidental death of their father. Andy wishes to be Piper's legal guardian so they won't be separated, but due to him being only 17 years old, the two are instead put in the care of Laura (Hawkins), an eccentric former counsellor who experienced the loss of her daughter. Following the tragedy, Laura adopted another child named Oliver (Philips), a mute boy with an odd mark under his right eye. As the film goes on, the two protagonists find out that their adoptive family isn't what it seems. What follows is a nail-biting series of events loaded with deceit, grief, and anger that will make you question the conventional villain role in a film, and has enough emotional charge that might even force a tear or two out of you. 'Bring Her Back' is a unique film in every sense of the word. Rather than showcasing the gore or the horror to us, it first establishes the relationship between the characters and how close they really are. From crude jokes to even secret codes, the bond between Billy and Sora is real and gripping – to the point it becomes the very glue that holds the film together outside of the actual horror elements. You root for them so badly that when you see them being torn apart, it actively hurts you to some extent. Billy's Andy is a troubled young adult who has a record of misconduct in hopes of getting attention from his late father. On the other hand, Sora's Piper was heavily favoured by the stepfather, receiving all the attention he could muster. Despite this, the two still put their father's favouritism aside in favour of their still-alive relatives, step-siblings or otherwise. Naturally, being the main antagonist of the film, Sally's Laura is the main source of the tension, as she does her best to separate the two. Her grief and her desire to be the mother to her lost daughter again are the driving forces as to why she is doing this, as well as a laundry list of other crimes. Because of the already established dynamic of the film, a part of us just wants to punch her in the eye when she tries to separate the two step-siblings. However, she is the rare antagonist that we can't help but empathise with as the film progresses. Through Hawkins's sheer acting prowess, we can't help but feel bad for her character, who only wants her daughter back and is desperate enough to try anything in order to achieve it. Her pain is visceral and potent, so potent, in fact, that you can feel it through the screen. It doesn't try to justify her actions and what she is doing is horrible, but you still understand why she is doing it, to some degree. Her anger and desire to be a mom again are crystallised in Oliver, Laura's foster son. The strange child is played masterfully by Phillips. His unnerving and terrifying performance is the main reason why this film is classified as horror. From the jarring way he eats his fruits to his unhinged and violent mannerisms, he is a force to be reckoned with as a boy and as a little monster. Many images are left imprinted on our minds as we recall this movie for this review, and more than half of them are Phillips' performance. We dare not say more, as it's something that needs to be witnessed without warning or filter. However, for all the praise it's received, there are still gaps in the film. For one thing, you can make the argument that it's not really horror, as it feels more like a supernatural thriller. A majority of the film is largely focused on escalating the suspense and tension of the film, and not much on the horror, though that is subjective to the moviegoer. The horror aspect is largely defined by how uneasy this film makes you and how it does its best to burrow under your skin; it systematically lowers your guard with images of siblings getting along and near misses to deliver the oppressive tension that sucks the hope out of you. Despite this, the film is still hopeful, albeit on a bittersweet note. This movie is a rollercoaster of emotions, from heartwarming bonding to supernatural and otherworldly scares and even some light-hearted comedy that will captivate as much as it will terrify you. It is a complex web that grabs your heart and tears it up thanks to its various themes and the complicated relationships between each character. Another strength of 'Bring Her Back' is its otherworldly ability to communicate directly with the audience about grief and loss, pulling us further into its gripping story. By the end of it, it asks those who are still mourning the dead to let go and live in their stead. Overall, 'Bring Her Back' is a gut-wrenching film that will tug on your heartstrings – from exploring strong familial ties to the deep-seated grief of those mourning a lost loved one, this movie will shake you to your core. The beating heart of this horror flick is the four main cast members whose collective performance sends shivers down our spines and tears down our eyes. To say it is a powerful piece that needs further analysis by experts is a massive understatement, and needs to be experienced firsthand. 'Bring Her Back' Arrives In Theatres On 31st July.
