STACK #247 May 2025

MOVIE FEATURE

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Fun fact: Anderson, known for adapting video games for the big screen such as Mortal Kombat ,

GENRE: Fantasy action RUN TIME: 1h 41m

GAME OF THRONES MEETS RESIDENT EVIL : IN THE LOST LANDS The masterminds behind Resident Evil and Game ofThrones have joined forces to bring an all-new fantasy adventure to life - one teeming with witches, werewolves, and other wizardry wonders. T he idea of Resident Evil director Paul W.S. Anderson collaborating with Game of Resident Evil and Monster Hunter is currently prepping his new adaptation of Sega’s The House of the Dead .

Jovovich shares his enthusiasm. “ The Lost Lands , a wasteland that’s alive with magic, just takes people and drives them mad. It’s alive, really, full of these monsters and creatures that can get you and kill you. I would describe it as very beautiful and stylised, a true fairy tale story at its heart,” she says, adding, “It has all the elements you need to make a story like this work: very romantic imagery, beautiful dialogue, great characters, but always told with the punch and the impact of a Paul Anderson movie. It’s a lot of fun.” Fun fact: Anderson, known for adapting video

Thrones author George R.R. Martin might seem unexpected, but here we are. And while it may feel like an unlikely pairing, this project has been in the works for quite some time, even predating Game of Thrones itself. “It’s been a long trek,” admits Anderson, whose extensive body of work includes Event Horizon and Monster Hunter . The story was first brought to him by German producer Constantin Werner, who optioned three of Martin’s short stories before Game of Thrones ever made it to television. “That was before George became the biggest thing on television,” he adds. “All three stories are about love, but the George R.R. Martin version of love, a twisted form of love with unhappy endings.” The story follows a witch, hired by a queen, on a quest to hunt a werewolf. Anderson’s wife and MORE PAUL W.S. ANDERSON MAGIC:

Milla Jovovich and Dave Bautista

longtime collaborator, Milla Jovovich, leads the film, with support from Dave Bautista. “To me, it was a wonderful opportunity to make a quest movie, with a witch and a gunslinger going on an adventure and finding love together,” says Anderson. “I love stories of people being forced on an adventure together, even though they don’t trust each other - like, for example, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. ”

games for the big screen such as Mortal Kombat , Resident Evil and Monster Hunter is currently prepping his new adaptation of SEGA’s The House of the Dead . Glenn Cochrane

• In the Lost Lands is out May 14

Event Horizon, Monster Hunter, Alien vs. Predator

GENRE: Horror RUN TIME: 1h 42m

TAKING THE MICKEY: SCREAMBOAT When Disney’s iconic 1928 cartoon Steamboat Willie entered the public domain, director Steven LaMorte wasted no time reimagining the beloved character as a bloodthirsty killer in Screamboat . I t’s a fitting move for LaMorte, character had been brewing for some time, although when asked

whose previous work includes the Grinch-inspired slasher The Mean One . Surprisingly, his twisted take has yet to spark backlash - neither from Disney nor from cinema purists. “As much as there might be an inclination to push back on our movie, anyone who sees it would see the love and respect we have for the source material,” explains LaMorte when chatting with STACK . “Yes he’s a killer, yes he’s a monster, and I don’t know if Walt Disney would appreciate what we’ve done,” he adds with amusement. “But I think he would appreciate the spirit in which we did it. Because it’s in-camera filmmaking, it’s doing something people said would be impossible, and we’re having a lot of fun doing it.” The decision to tackle this particular

FUN FACT

about its development, the director held his cards close to his chest. “ Steamboat Willie went into public domain on January 1st, 2024, and on January 2nd we let loose to the world the idea that we were going to turn him

The ferry used in the movie is owned by Saturday Night Live alumni Pete Davidson and Colin Jost.

into a mischievous, murderous, miniature mouse in a horror film starring David Howard Thornton! “We knew that Steamboat Willie was going to come into the public domain, and we knew that after The Mean One , we really wanted to do a follow up that would be bigger and sillier and funnier, but also take a character that people love and do something horrific with it,” he explains gleefully.

“So, when we were looking around for what we were going to do next, we thought, ‘Well, it’s not in the public domain yet, but Steamboat Willie might come into the public domain’, and then it’s January 1st, the clock strikes midnight, the clouds opened up and a script landed on my desk, fully finished. Who knew such a thing was possible?” Glenn Cochrane

• Screamboat is out May 14

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU’LL LOVE THESE:

The Mean One, Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey, Terrifier, Slotherhouse

24 MAY 2025

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