Clive Barker to rewrite and direct Zombies vs. Gladiators for Amazon Studios

Horror icon Clive Barker has agreed to rewrite and direct the movie ZOMBIES VS GLADIATORS for Amazon Studios. What is Amazon Studios? Glad you asked. Similar to Kickstarter, Amazon Studios is a website where prospective filmmakers can pitch ideas, screenplays, and test footage which is then voted on. In the end, Amazon will produce a select few. So far, 16 films are in production.

This will mark the HELLRAISER author’s biggest profile film work since 2009 and his first directing gig since 1995’s lackluster LORD OF ILLUSIONS.

Per Amazon Studio’s press release: “I’m excited by the opportunity to interweave two very rich narrative threads,” Barker said in a statement. “One of them concerns itself with the reality of the decadence of Rome and its rise and fall. The other is a fantastical narrative element – the living dead. My brief to myself on this project is to give the audience not only zombies they have never seen before but also a Rome they have never seen before.”

“‘Zombies vs. Gladiators’ is now in the hands of someone who has written genre-defining material throughout his career,” Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios, said in a statement. “We are excited to see how Clive will add his unique narrative to capture the essence of this story and propel the project into something unique and original that could one day be enjoyed by all audiences.”

I like old school Clive Barker, but this project looks like it will be destined for late night Cinemax showings if not handled correctly. On the other side, I hope hiring someone like Barker will become a trend for Amazon Studios. With crowd-sourced productions becoming more and more popular, we may see more movies created this way. Stay tuned for more info.