The 24-year-old Mexican American actor will star opposite Madelaine Petsch and Gabriel Basso in a Lionsgate remake of the 2008 horror film The Strangers, which has entered production in Slovakia.
Renny Harlin is directing the film, which will be the first in a trilogy, having locked in a deal to helm the subsequent pair.
The original film The Strangers was a home invasion film that Bryan Bertino wrote and directed in his feature debut, with Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman starring.
It registered as a sleeper hit upon its May 2008 release via Universal Pictures and came to be appreciated in the years following as a cult classic, with the sequel The Strangers: Prey at Nightbeing released in March 2018.
The new Strangers film will follow Petsch’s character as she drives cross-country with her longtime boyfriend (Gutierrez) to begin a new life in the Pacific Northwest. When their car breaks down in Venus, Oregon, they’re forced to spend the night in a secluded Airbnb, where they are terrorized from dusk till dawn by three masked strangers.
Lionsgate plans from there to expand the story in new and unexpected ways with its sequels.
Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland wrote the franchise launcher, to be distributed worldwide by Lionsgate.
“My mother instilled the love of movies in me through the world of Hitchcock and other masters of suspense and horror. My breakthrough to Hollywood happened with the success ofA Nightmare on Elm Street 4,” noted Harlin. “It is only fitting that I get to return to my favorite genre with the incredibly well written trilogy of The Strangers. The characters and the storyline are all grounded in reality and offer me an endless tapestry of haunting visuals in bringing these movies alive.”
“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”
“When you’ve got two horror aficionados like Courtney Solomon and Renny Harlin coming together, you’ve got all you need to create some incredibly smart, lean-forward-in-your-seat, addictively thrilling entertainment,” said Mark Canton. “Fans of the original film will be blown away; new audiences will discover the intensely unnerving world of The Strangers.”
“The Strangers taps into such primal fears that it will always be relevant,” added Eda Kowan, Lionsgate’s EVP of Acquisitions & Co-Productions. “But what truly sets this project apart is the way the filmmakers have expanded the story and given these characters a new life.”
Gutierrez plays Jamie Henson on the Freeform series Cruel Summer, which has been renewed for a second season, and has also been seen on shows like Light as a Feather, Teen Wolfand One Day at a Time. Also coming up for the actor is the long anticipated Hocus Pocus 2, which is slated for release on Disney+ on September 30th.
Freeform has renewed its most-watched series ever Cruel Summer, starring the 23-year-old half-Mexican American actor, for a second season.
The decision was announced ahead of the series’ season one finale this week.
How the Jessica Biel-executive-produced series returns is still up in the air; the mystery could return with a new story with the same characters and actors or using the same storytelling device featuring a whole new cast of characters.
Cruel Summer is a psychological thriller that follows two young women: Kate Wallis, the popular girl with a charmed life who one day goes missing, and Jeanette Turner, the nerdy wannabe who is accused of being connected to Kate’s disappearance. All signs point to Jeanette’s guilt, but is Kate really who she seems to be? Set over three summers and told through shifting points of view, the series challenges perception and follows how one girl can go from being a sweet outlier to the most despised person in America.
In addition to Gutierrez, the series also stars Olivia Holt,Chiara Aurelia, Michael Landes, Harley Quinn Smith, Allius Barnes, Blake Lee and Brooklyn Sudano.
The series, which was the first scripted series to debut under new Freeform president Tara Duncan, who started the job just under a year ago, became the Disney-owned network’s most-watched series ever, ranking as the number one new cable drama of the year among women aged 18-34, with the most recent episode delivering the drama’s biggest linear TV audience yet, rising by 31% over its premiere. In multiplatform+35 day, the series, which is available on Hulu the day after its linear airing, averages 6.8 million viewers per episode, and was also the streamer’s most-watched next-day season one title from a linear channel in its first seven weeks to date.
“I think what has really resonated with audiences is that there’s a very clear, strong mystery, but a mystery that’s told from the point of view of two characters that people can really relate to,” says Duncan. “That central conceit of ‘is the grass always greener on the other side?’ and that perspective of ‘who do you believe Jeanette or Kate?’ and that the story should shift depending on whose shoes you stand in, I just think is one that is really relatable for this audience. The idea of an unravelling mystery that’s told week over week is one that the audience has obviously responded to.”
Cruel Summer is based on original idea and isn’t a reboot, sequel series or even based on a book, podcast or news story.
“People were wondering was this a true story because it has a real ripped from the headlines feel. I think that’s a testament to the storytelling, quite frankly, and again the fact that this is a story told from the perspective of two characters, the audience has really been able to see themselves in both of them. If you’ve got great characters and a story well told, it will find an audience and succeed and really break out,” Duncan said.
Yul Vazquez is bringing the Blood to this year’s Screamfest…
The Screamfest Horror Film Festival has revealed the lineup of films that’ll be featured at this year’s drive-in edition, including the 55-year-old Cuban actor’s latest project Books of Blood.
Vazquez’s latest film, directed by Brannon Braga, will kick off the festival, which runs from October 6-15.
The Hulu original film, based on Clive Barker’s horror anthology, is slated to premiere on the streamer on October 7. Starring Vazquez, Britt Robertson, Anna Friel and Rafi Gavron, the film takes a journey into uncharted and forbidden territory through three tales tangled in space and time.
Meanwhile, Jon Huertas and Isabella Gomez’s social media teen slasher Initiationwill also be screened at Screamfest.
The film also stars Lindsay LaVanchy, Froy Gutierrez, Gattlin Griffth, Patrick Walker, James Berardo, Bart Johnson, Shireen Lai, Kent Faulcon, Yancy Butler and Lochlyn Munro.
Initiation, from Screamfest alum Berardo, was recently acquired by Saban Films.
Also among the list of screenings are Thirst, the first-ever Icelandic gay splatter vampire flick, and psychological horror film Sweet River (making its North American debut).
“2020 has been challenging for everyone and certainly not how we planned on celebrating Screamfest’s 20th edition, but we’re thrilled to be able to continue to serve the LA community and give our hardworking filmmakers the premieres they wholeheartedly deserve with our lineup of drive-in titles,” says festival founder Rachel Belofsky. “In this unprecedented, uncharted territory of hosting an entirely drive-in festival, we are honored that these wonderfully frightening films have entrusted Screamfest LA to be their festival home, and we’re excited for the opportunity to showcase the horror and sci-fi genre to LA audiences.”
Here’s the 2020 Screamfest Horror Film Festival lineup:
A Ghost Waits (US, 2020) – US Premiere Directed by Adam Stovall. Written by Adam Stovall, MacLeod Andrews. Produced by Adam Stovall, MacLeod Andrews. Cast: MacLeod Andrews, Natalie Walker.
Jack’s job is to fix up the house. Muriel’s job is to haunt it. They should be enemies, but they become fascinated by one another and eventually smitten, leading them to question everything about their work, lives, and decisions. But as the pressure mounts for them to fulfill their duties, something will have to give for them to have the time together they both so desperately want.
An Ideal Host (Australia, 2020) – US Premiere Directed by Robert Woods. Written by Tyler Jacob Jones. Produced by Robert Woods, Tyler Jacob Jones. Cast: Nadia Collins, Evan Williams, Naomi Brockwell, St John Cowcher.
Liz just wants to host the perfect dinner party but an unexpected guest sends the evening into chaos, with potentially apocalyptic consequences.
Anonymous Animals (France, 2020) – US Premiere Directed and written by Baptiste Rouveure. Produced by Anonymous Animals Films. Cast: Thierry Maros, Aurélien Chilarski, Pauline Guilpain, Emilien Lavaut.
The balance of power between man and animal is reversed. In a remote countryside, any encounter with the dominant can become hostile. At the crossroads of fantastic and suspense kind, Anonymous Animals questions the place of animals in our societies.
Books of Blood (US, 2020) – Opening Night Directed by Brannon Braga. Written by Brannon Braga & Adam Simon, based on the short story by Clive Barker with contributing original material. Cast: Britt Robertson, Rafi Gavron, Anna Friel, Yul Vazquez, and Freda Foh Shen. Executive Producers: Braga, Seth MacFarlane, Erica Huggins, Alana Kleiman, Brian Witten, Jeff Kwatinetz, Josh Barry, Clive Barker and Adam Simon/ Producers: Jason Clark and Joe Micucci.
Based on Clive Barker’s acclaimed and influential horror anthology Books Of Blood, this feature takes audiences on a journey into uncharted and forbidden territory through three uncanny tales tangled in space and time.
The Brain That Wouldn’t Die (US, 2019) – LA Premiere Directed by Derek Carl. Written by Hank Huffman. Produced by Molly Preston, Derek Carl, Hank Huffman, Daniel Timothy Treacy. Cast: Rachael Perrell Fosket, Patrick D. Green, Jason Reynolds, David Withers, Robert Blanche, Mia Allen
Set in the early sixties, The Brain That Wouldn’t Die follows the misadventures of Dr. Bill Cortner (Patrick Green), a brilliant surgeon, whose unorthodox practices produce fantastic results – the reanimation of dead tissue. Bill’s father and mentor, William, cautions his son against meddling with the forces of nature, but Bill insists that his work will bring an end to human mortality. Bill’s methods are put to the test when his fiancée, Jan Compton (Rachael Perrell Fosket), is decapitated in a car accident. Absconding with her remains to his secret laboratory, Bill successfully revives Jan’s head in a pan. She begs for death but Bill refuses to oblige, promising that he can make her whole again. Putting his assistant, Kurt (Jason Reynolds), in charge of the lab, Bill leaves to find Jan a new body, knowing full well that he will have to murder an innocent woman to do so. Bill’s quest takes him through the seedy underbelly of the city, from smoky cabarets to sleazy swimsuit competitions. Despite his efforts, Bill is foiled at every turn, narrowly avoiding the suspicions of Mancini (Robert Blanche), the hardboiled detective investigating the car accident. However, Bill’s luck changes when he chances upon an old flame, Doris Powell (Mia Allen), a vulnerable model with surgical needs. Meanwhile, Jan, determined to bring an end to the madness, uses her newly discovered psychic abilities to communicate with another of Bill’s hideously deformed experiments. Together, they plot their revenge…
Caveat (UK, 2020) – North American Premiere Directed and written by Damian Mc Carthy. Produced by Justin Hyne. Cast: Ben Caplan, Jonathan French, Leila Sykes
A lone drifter, Isaac suffering from partial memory loss accepts a job from his old landlord Barrett, to look after his niece Olga, a psychologically troubled woman living in an abandoned house on an isolated island. When Barrett convinces Isaac to confine his movements to the house and leaves the two of them alone, a game of cat and mouse ensues with Isaac fighting to survive amid the terrifying resurgence of his own memory.
Initiation (US, 2020) – US Premiere Directed by John Berardo. Written by John Berardo, Lindsay LaVanchy, Brian Frager. Produced by Brian Frager, John Berardo, JP Castel, Stephanie Stanziano, Lindsay LaVanchy, Jon Huertas. Cast: Jon Huertas, Isabella Gomez, Lindsay LaVanchy, Froy Gutierrez, Gattlin Griffth, Patrick Walker, James Berardo, Bart Johnson, Shireen Lai, Kent Faulcon, Yancy Butler, Lochlyn Munro
Teen horror is back with a vengeance in this edgy slasher about a cruel social media game that spins out of control. Whiton University unravels the night a star-athlete is murdered in the wake of a hidden assault allegation, kicking off a spree of social media-linked slayings. As a masked killer targets students across campus, a trio of sorority sisters race to uncover the truth behind the school’s hidden secrets – and the horrifying meaning of an exclamation point – before they become the killer’s next victims.
Sanzaru (US, 2019) – LA Premiere Directed and written by Xia Magnus. Produced by Alyssa Polk, Anthony Pedone, Nathan Hertz. Cast: Ania Dumlao, Justin Arnold, Jayne Taini, Jon Viktor Corpuz.
When a mild Filipina nurse is hired by an elderly woman declining into dementia, the walls between this world and the next crumble as she uncovers her employer’s shocking family secret.
Sweet River (Australia, 2020) – North American Premiere Directed by Justin McMillan. Written by Eddie Baroo, Marc Furmie. Produced by Ashley McLeod. Cast: Lisa Kay, Martin Sacks, Jack Ellis, Charlotte Stent
Hannah’s search for her son’s body leads her to sleepy Billins, where her investigations uncover more than she expected and threaten to expose the town’s dark secrets….secrets that both the living and the dead will fight to protect.
Thirst (Iceland, 2019) – LA Premiere Directed by Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson, Gaukur Úlfarsson. Written by Björn Leó Brynjarsson. Produced by Haraldur Hrafn Thorlacius. Cast: Hjörtur Sævar Steinason, Hulda Lind Kristinsdóttir, Jens Jensson.
Hulda is a drug addict, arrested and accused of murdering her brother. After she is let go because of insufficient evidence, she meets Hjörtur, a thousand-year-old vampire. Together they have to fight a cult while being investigated by a rogue detective.
The 21-year-old Latino actor has been cast in Freeform’s Last Summer, a thriller pilot from Jessica Biel and Michelle Purple.
Gutierrez will appear as a series regular in the project, alongside Michael Landes, Brooklyn Sudano, Harley Quinn Smith, Chiara Aurelia, Mika Abdalla, Allius Barnes, Blake Lee and Nathaniel Ashton.
Written by Bert V. Royaland directed by Max Winkler, Last Summer is an unconventional thriller that takes place over three summers — 1993-95 — in a small Texas town when a beautiful popular teen, Kate (Abdalla), is abducted and, seemingly unrelated, a girl, Jeanette (Aurelia), goes from being a sweet, awkward outlier to the most popular girl in town and, by ’95, the most despised person in America. Each episode is told from the POV of one of the two main girls (Jeanette and Kate), which will have the viewers’ loyalties constantly shifting as more information is revealed.
Gutierrez has been cast as Jamie, the kind of guy everyone loves. He starts as Jeannette’s secret crush, who ends up as her boyfriend the following year.
The pilot comes from eOneand will be executive produced by Royal and Winkler alongside Iron Ocean Productions’ Biel and Purple.
Production recently kicked off in Texas.Gutierrez’s previous credits include appearances on television in Bella and the Bulldogs, The Goldbergs, One Day at a TimeandTeen Wolf.
Renny Harlin is directing the film, which will be the first in a trilogy, having locked in a deal to helm the subsequent pair.
