The Fantastic Pavilion presents a weekly recap with the most relevant news about the world of genre cinema.
News
After directing The Invisible Man (2020), Leigh Whannell has tackled another of the Universal Classic Monsters. Whannell’s Wolf Man (2025) stars Christopher Abbott and, judging from its first teaser, centers on a family that is going to face the creature (or creatures) in a wooded area. Wolf Man hits theaters on January 17.
Mexican director Isaac Ezban (The Similars, Evil Eye) is back with Párvulos (2024), a survival horror thriller set in a post-pandemic world. Ezban’s take on the zombie/infected subgenre hits Mexican cinemas this November and its distributor, Corazón Films, has officially released a trailer.
Tarsem’s ambitious fantasy film The Fall (2006) – which was supported by David Fincher and Spike Jonze back in the day – is about to be discovered by new audiences. A brand new 4K restoration recently premiered at the Locarno Film Festival and will be available to stream on Mubi from September 27. Watch the latest trailer here.
As we reported before, Hold Your Breath (2024) is a psychological/supernatural horror film set during the 1930s Dust Bowl. It stars Sarah Paulson as a mother who must protect her family, not just from the dust but also from a “sinister presence” known as the Grey Man. Hold Your Breath premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) tomorrow, September 12, and lands on Hulu October 3. Watch here its intense first trailer.
Festivals
The Sitges Film Festival has unveiled the complete lineup for its 57th edition (October 3-13). Steven Soderbergh’s Presence (2024), Alexandre Aja’s Never Let Go (2024), Marco Dutra’s Bury Your Dead (Enterre seus mortos, 2024), Natalie Erika James’ Apartment 7A (2024), Gary Dauberman’s Salem’s Lot (2024), Edgar Nito’s A Fisherman’s Tale (Un cuento de pescadores, 2024), Adam Elliot’s Memoir of a Snail (2024), and Joe Begos’ Jimmy and Stiggs (2024) are just a few of the many genre films that will screen at Sitges. Read the full announcement here.
Fantastic Fest has added Harmony Korine’s Baby Invasion (2024) to its 2024 lineup. A EDGLRD project, Baby Invasion had its world premiere recently at the Venice Film Festival and is now set to make its U.S. debut in Austin, on September 23. Baby Invasion features a score by Burial and has been described as a “ultra-realistic, multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) game” that follows “a group of mercenaries using baby faces as avatars to conceal their identity,” while they enter “mansions of the rich and powerful.”
Alexandre O. Philippe’s latest documentary, Chain Reactions (2024), won the Venice Classics Award for Best Documentary on Cinema at the prestigious Venice Film Festival. Chain Reactions explores the legacy of Tobe Hooper’s horror masterpiece The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), through interviews with Takashi Miike, Karyn Kusama, and Stephen King, among others. The documentary will continue its festival run at Fantastic Fest (September 19-26) and Sitges (October 3-13).
Home video
Mike Flanagan’s home invasion thriller Hush (2016), which stars Kate Siegel, was previously only available on Netflix, so its general digital release earlier this year was newsworthy. And now, a physical release is coming from Scream Factory! The Collector’s Edition four-disc set, to be released on November 26, features Hush on 4K UHD and Blu-ray, as well as a new black-and-white cut on both formats. Scream Factory is also offering a bundle that includes a poster signed by Flanagan himself.
In memoriam
James Earl Jones (1931-2024). The American actor best known for lending his voice to Darth Vader since the original Star Wars (1977) passed away last Monday, September 9. According to Deadline, Jones died “at his home in New York.” He was 93 years old. Georges Lucas himself said that “James was an incredible actor, a most unique voice both in art and spirit.” Jones appeared in other genre movies like Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) and Conan the Barbarian (1982).