Greg McLean, the director of the horror films Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek 2, Rogue, The Darkness, and The Belko Experiment (as well as the survival thriller Jungle), has lined up his next genre project. Deadline reports that McLean will be directing the action horror movie Graveyard Smash from a screenplay by Old Henry and Would You Rather writer Gus Krieger.
Coming our way from Film finance and sales company Concourse Media and production company CinemaWays, Graveyard Smash is expected to start filming later this year. It has the following synopsis: Desperate to find her missing sister, a young woman and her three best friends find themselves trapped inside a virtual-reality game where every level forces its players to survive a different genre of a horror movie. When they learn that dying in the game means dying in real life, the friends are forced to hack, slash and battle their way to the toxic mastermind behind it all. Sounds like it could be fun, and makes me think of a few different horror stories we’ve seen before, including the ’90s Full Moon movie Arcade and a season 4 episode of the Shudder series Creepshow.
McLean provided the following statement: “As a lifelong horror fan, Graveyard Smash is our love letter to the genre that’s given us so much joy, fun and pure terror. As a director, I’m so excited to be working with Gus on bringing this story to life, one that allows audiences to playfully and scarily experience a narrative that combines gaming, technology, nostalgia and horror fans’ deep connection as a community. Graveyard Smash is a horror roller coaster, and we can’t wait to take audiences around the world on the thrilling and unforgettable ride with us.“
Krieger added: “From the first moment director Greg McLean came to me with the idea for Graveyard Smash, I was absolutely hooked. As a lifelong gamer and horror fan, I could think of no better or more imaginative way to dive headlong into all aspects of our favorite genre. Drafting this twisty, spooky and very contemporary adventure has been an absolute pleasure, and there’s no one better than McLean to bring this story to terrifying life.“
Are you a fan of Greg McLean’s work, and are you looking forward to Graveyard Smash? Let us know by leaving a comment below.