Casper's new look 😱 #34
The friendly ghost is getting a dark makeover.
Welcome home, horror lover! 👋 Controversial opinion incoming, but HOKUM was a real let down for me. I wanted to fall off my cinema seat in fear, but instead I was just waiting for a big scare that never came. It felt more ITV thriller than big screen horror. Moving swiftly on…
A note that there will be no edition next week! I’m away holidaying in Poland and Leeds (two very different destinations, I know) so I’ll see you again for your next edition on May 22.
Horror latest 🩸
👻 A Casper the Friendly Ghost live-action series is coming to Disney+. It is set to be a darker and more modernised version of the beloved story, with Steven Spielberg on board as an exec producer.
⛺ The Blair Witch reboot is coming along nicely, with two stars from the 1999 original now involved. Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams will serve as executive producers on the project which promises to revamp the story for a new generation.
👂 Work on A Quiet Place III will kick off next week. Plot details are under wraps but director John Krasinski previously revealed it was the end of a planned trilogy and the Abbott family’s story.
✋ Talk To Me’s Sophie Wilde and Together’s James Franco are both set to star in Alien invasion thriller, Soon You Will Be Gone And Possibly Eaten. The story centres around a secluded wedding ceremony that is crashed by some unexpected guests.
❌ Ghost-hunting show Haunted Homecoming has been scrapped for a hilarious reason: they couldn’t find any ghosts. The Discovery+ show was fronted by UK TV royalty Jonathan Ross.
On the slab
A note from your editor ✨
The live-action Casper remake got me thinking of a spooky cartoon from my childhood that I’d just love to see brought to life.
My fellow millennials in the room may remember Mona the Vampire, a nineties kids’ horror series which was beamed into childhood living rooms via CBBC.
The main character, Mona Parker, believed monsters plagued her hometown and she would transform into her vampire alter ego in order to see off the creatures before they could do any harm. She never got any credit for it either.
It was always on TV after I finished school and was genuinely quite scary in parts. I definitely believe it had a major role in shaping my love of the genre (alongside Child’s Play, obviously) so this is my plea, in writing, to bring it back for a new generation to enjoy.
Keep on screaming 😱,
Samantha
Horror bite 👄: During filming for 1981’s The Evil Dead film it was so cold that the crew had to burn furniture to stay warm.
To a friend, I recommend… 🎀🩸
Stephen King raved about the series I’m recommending this week, saying that it actually reminded him of his own work.
The series is Marianne on Netflix, which tells the story of a French horror author who discovers her bleak and depraved novels are actually playing out in real-life.
She is forced to confront the malevolent force driving the horrific things that are unfolding, but in doing so it sets off an even more devastating - and gory - chain of events.
If you loved Welcome to Derry this is definitely one you’ll get along with. All eight episodes are available to stream now.
Trending 🔥
The new Evil Dead Burn trailer has gone viral for all the reasons you might expect. Plenty of gore, brutality and a particularly creative use of a car head rest. Oh, and anyone for a shot of hot candlewax?
Elsewhere, horror legend James Wan and Backrooms director/all-round internet legend Kane Parsons sat down together for The A24 Podcast.
They chat childhoods, the origin of the Backrooms plus what it feels like to meet your heroes (and some advice for young filmmakers too). You won’t find a better way to spend an hour.
Don’t miss… 📅
👿 The Terror: Devil in Silver - Shudder and AMC+ (Out now)
🤗 Affection - Select US theatres (Out now)
😻 Obsession - Cinemas (May 15)
🏥 Haunted Hospitals - DMAX (May 16)
Kill some time 🔪⏰
🩸 Curry Barker teases his plans for The Texas Chainsaw remake.
🏢 Fancy a portal to the Backrooms in your front room?
🤡 Someone made Art the Clown on Tomodachi Life.
💘 Can’t wait for Obsession? Here’s a cheeky preview.
🧱 The FROM diner has been recreated in Lego.
Most visited links from last week’s newsletter
Scream Society is written by me, Samantha King (you can call me Sam), a lifelong horror nerd and journalist.
If you loved this newsletter and want to support it, please consider sharing it with someone else who adores horror. You can do so by clicking the button below, or if you’re reading via email, simply forward it along.
Want to help make Scream Society even better? Whether you just want to say hello or have an idea for something you'd love to see next time, get in touch using the feedback form.