Video Killed the Radio Star: Harriet Cains, Luke Brandon Field star in 1979-set horror film

Earlier this year, the writing and directing duo of Colin and Cameron Cairnes brought us the 1977-set horror film Late Night with the Devil, which was about “the live broadcast of a late-night talk show that goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation’s living rooms.” Now Deadline reports that director Brad Watson (I’ll Play Mother) is currently in production on a film that sounds like the radio version of Late Night with the Devil, the 1979-set horror film Video Killed the Radio Star. With Harriet Cains of Bridgerton and Luke Brandon Field of Jojo Rabbit in the lead roles, Video Killed the Radio Star is filming in London.

The story of this one centers on a pirate radio DJ (Field) who accidentally unleashes a demonic force during his broadcast, turning the station into a battleground for humanity. As the supernatural threat spreads through the airwaves, the DJ and his assistant (Cains) must confront the horrors they’ve unleashed. It will be interesting to see how the demonic force is presented here, but it sounds promising so far.

Video Killed the Radio Star is coming our way from the recently launched genre outfit Dreamtown, which was previously known as The Number 44 and is a division of UK firm Goldfinch. Phil McKenzie and Michelle Arnusch are executive producing. The screenplay by Mark A. C. Brown (Guardians), based on a idea developed by producers Ben Charles Edwards (Quant) and Kirsty Bell (A Bird Flew In), is said to explore “how the rising popularity of 1980s music videos posed a threat to traditional radio broadcasts. 1979 was the year The Buggles released their classic song with the same title as the movie.” It’s a great title for a great song, now we’ll see if it’s going to be the title of a great movie as well.

Edwards provided the following statement: “We couldn’t be more thrilled to have Luke Brandon Field and Harriet Cains headline Video Killed the Radio Star. Luke’s intensity and Harriet’s dynamic presence are perfect for bringing our characters to life.“

Bell added: “Dreamtown has set out to deliver precisely what the market desires by offering unique and captivating angles in our storytelling. We couldn’t be more excited.“

Does Video Killed the Radio Star sound interesting to you? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.