#production start

Reimagining Dahl’s beloved story for a modern audience, Zemeckis’s visually innovative “The Witches” tells the darkly humorous and heartwarming tale of a young orphaned boy (Bruno) who, in late 1967, goes to live with his loving Grandma (Spencer) in the rural Alabama town of Demopolis. The boy and his grandmother come across some deceptively glamorous but thoroughly diabolical witches, so Grandma wisely whisks our young hero away to an opulent seaside resort. Regrettably, they arrive at precisely the same time that the world’s Grand High Witch (Hathaway) has gathered her fellow cronies from around the globe—undercover—to carry out her nefarious plans.

The screenplay is by Guillermo Del Toro and Robert Zemeckis & Kenya Barris (upcoming “Shaft”), based on the book by Roald Dahl. Zemeckis also produces, alongside Jack Rapke, Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuaron and Luke Kelly. Serving as executive producers on the film are Michael Siegel, Gideon Simeloff, Marianne Jenkins and Jackie Levine.

Zemeckis’s behind-the-scenes team includes a roster of his frequent collaborators, including Oscar-nominated director of photography Don Burgess (“Forrest Gump”), production designer Gary Freeman, Editor Jeremiah O’Driscoll, and Oscar-nominated costume designer Joanna Johnston (“Allied,” “Lincoln”).

An original, darkly comic, gruesome revenge story written by Bob Lange and Kristina Chadwick, the film stars horror stalwarts Kane Hodder as Sheriff Jubell (FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII: NEW BLOOD) and Bill Moseley as Farmer Sam (TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2; Carnivàle). Director of Photography Tom MaCoy, producers Dan Lantz, Rob Margolies (SHE WANTS ME, ALL YOU CAN EAT) and Gretel Snyder (Star Trek: Renegades; who also serves as Assistant Director), and Executive Producers Bob Lange and Kristina Chadwick round out the production team.

Kane Hodder (Sheriff Jubell in Hayride to Hell)

In the film, a farmer (Moseley) takes his revenge in grand fashion on the unscrupulous town folk who try to steal his farm. Other cast members include Graham Wolfe (The Punisher, Mr. Robot, For Life) as Nixler, Amy Rutledge (RENT-A-PAL, NEIGHBOR, EYES OF THE DEAD) as Patty, and Brooke Stacy Mills (LAW ABIDING CITIZEN). HAYRIDE TO HELL will shoot on location in the exurban farmland west of Philadelphia, PA between now and the end of the month.

Bill Moseley (Farmer Sam in Hayride to Hell)

Following his breakout role as “Chop Top" in THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2, William Lambert (Bill) Moseley has starred in numerous horror cult classics, including HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES, REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA and THE DEVIL'S REJECTS, and he’s well-known as the cook in HBO’s Carnivàle. For his part, Kane Hodder has played horror legend Jason Voorhees in FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD, FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN, JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY, and JASON X, as well as the first three films in the HATCHET series (HATCHET, HATCHET II, and HATCHET III).

Director/Producer Dan Lantz

Dan Lantz spent the first twenty years of his career making TV commercials and reality TV shows before he transitioned into narrative short films, beginning with FELIX MELMAN. That film won several awards and led to Lantz writing and directing more shorts and a web series. In 2011, Lantz directed two low-budget feature-length horror films that got the attention of a few industry contacts. This led to him directing his fourth feature film BLOODRUNNERS, a Prohibition-era vampire thriller starring Ice-T with a worldwide release in 2017.

Most recently, Lantz achieved his dream of creating a film twenty-years in the making to life: ALPHA RIFT. A modern-day medieval sword and sorcery epic story of an average guy fated to hold a secret demon at bay, ALPHA RIFT releases November 19 from Vertical Entertainment. In ALPHA RIFT, Nolan Parthmore (Aaron Dalla Villa, PLEDGE, Gotham, Duels) is running his game store and flirting with his co-worker Gabby (Rachel Nielsen, GREEN PIECE, Mare of Easttown) when destiny comes calling. Nolan discovers he is an heir to the medieval bloodline “The Noblemen” when he dons an antique helmet and calls forth a demon recently released from his supernatural prison: Lord Dragsmere (Philip N. Williams, The Wire, The Blacklist, Broad City). He must quickly learn to harness his power and open the Alpha Rift: the only defense against these supernatural foes. Leading the Noblemen are Richard Corbin (Lance Henriksen, ALIENS, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, Millennium) and his lieutenant Vicars (Graham Wolfe) who must guide Nolan as he is forced to become the hero he never wanted to be.

Lantz, who recently won two awards as “Best Director of an Action Film” and “Best Director of a Fantasy,” from the bi-monthly Best Actor and Director Awards-New York, feels lucky to be making his second film in the Keystone State. “First, Pennsylvania may not have cornered the market on creepy, but it sure has a strong minority stake. The locations are dark and brooding—Wyeth country. Second, Pennsylvania does have a tax incentive program and that money is certainly helping a modestly budgeted production punch above its weight. The program is under constant threat to be axed by the state, so I do not know what the future holds. I do hope they keep it as it keeps proud Pennsylvania filmmakers like me from heading to other states.

Starring alongside Chalamet are Rowan Atkinson (the “Johnny English” and “Mr. Bean” films, “Love Actually”), Mathew Baynton (“The Wrong Mans,” “Ghosts”), Jim Carter (“Downton Abbey”), Oscar winner Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”), Tom Davis (“Paddington 2,” “King Gary”), Simon Farnaby (the “Paddington” films, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”), Rich Fulcher (“Marriage Story,” “Disenchantment”), Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins (“The Shape of Water,” the “Paddington” films, “Spencer”), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (“Paddington 2,” “Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” “Mary Poppins Returns”), Paterson Joseph (“Vigil,” “Noughts + Crosses”), Emmy and Peabody Award winner Keegan-Michael Key (“The Prom,” “Schmigadoon”), Calah Lane (“The Day Shall Come”), Matt Lucas (“Paddington,” “Little Britain”), Colin O’Brien (“The Mothership”), Natasha Rothwell (“White Lotus,” “Insecure”), Rakhee Thakrar (“Sex Education,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral”) and Ellie White (“The Other One,” “The Windsors”).

King is directing from a screenplay he wrote with “Paddington 2” co-writer Simon Farnaby (with prior writers including Simon Rich, Simon Stephenson, Jeff Nathanson, and Steven Levenson).  Michael Siegel and Rosie Alison are serving as executive producers.  King’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes Oscar-nominated director of photography Seamus McGarvey (“Anna Karenina,” “Atonement”); Oscar-nominated production designer Nathan Crowley (“Tenet,” “Dunkirk”); editor Mark Everson (the “Paddington” films); and Oscar-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming (the “Paddington” films, “Topsy-Turvy”).  Neil Hannon of the band The Divine Comedy is writing original songs for the film.

Starring in ANTLERS are Keri Russell (STAR WARS: EPISODE IX, FX’s “The Americans”), Jesse Plemons (HOSTILES, FX’s “Fargo”), Jeremy T. Thomas (“Lore”), Graham Greene (MOLLY’S GAME, WIND RIVER), Scott Haze (THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, VENOM), Rory Cochrane (WHITE BOY RICK, HOSTILES) and Amy Madigan (TWICE IN A LIFETIME, FIELD OF DREAMS).

The film’s producers are Guillermo del Toro (THE SHAPE OF WATER, PAN’S LABRYINTH), J. Miles Dale (THE SHAPE OF WATER, THE VOW), David S. Goyer (ASSASSINATION NATION, BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE), and Kevin Turen (ALL IS LOST, 99 HOMES) serving as executive producer. ANTLERS is the first project between Fox Searchlight Pictures and Guillermo del Toro following the announcement of a deal between Searchlight and del Toro that covers live action feature film projects to be written, produced and/or directed by del Toro.

“I couldn’t be more excited to begin production on ANTLERS with Guillermo Del Toro, and reunite with my dear friends at Fox Searchlight,” said Cooper, adding, “They’re incredible filmmakers - not to mention necessary filmmakers - and are extremely passionate and supportive of my vision as I venture into yet another genre, and delve into the unnerving world of ancestral spirits.”

“We are delighted to be back in business with Scott Cooper, with whom we had an incredible journey on the Oscar-winning CRAZY HEART, and Guillermo Del Toro, fresh off THE SHAPE OF WATER,” said Fox Searchlight Chairmen Nancy Utley and Steve Gilula.

Added Greenfield and Greenbaum, “Scott is a master of creating human dramas with unforgettable performances. ANTLERS will allow him to bring his unique gifts to the horror genre. We could not be more thrilled.”