Back in 2022, Brandon Espy wrote a short horror film called Mr. Crocket for the Hulu streaming service’s Bite Size Halloween series. Now the Mr. Crocket concept has been expanded into a feature length film that is set to be released through Hulu on October 11th, and a trailer for the film has arrived online. You can check it out in the embed above.
Scripted by Espy and Carl Reid, this longer take on Mr. Crocket has the following synopsis: In 1993, a mysterious children’s show host, Mr. Crocket, magically emerges from television sets to kidnap young children, brutally slaying their parents in the process. After Mr. Crocket snatches her son, one determined mother embarks on a perilous quest to track down the demonic entertainer and rescue her boy.
Jerrika Hinton (Grey’s Anatomy), Elvis Nolasco (Godfather of Harlem), Ayden Gavin (Big George Foreman), Kristolyn Lloyd (The Bold and the Beautiful), Alex Akpobome (Twenties), Akim Black (City on a Hill), Gina Jarrin (Learning to Drive), Melanie Christine Leon-Soon (The Saint of the Impossible), and newcomers Lyla Randall, Jabari Striblin, and Riley Vinson star.
A press release notes that this is part of WorthenBrooks’ first-look horror slate with Hulu Originals. Mr. Crocket was developed by WorthenBrooks, with David Brooks, Arbi Pedrossian, Jenna Cavelle, and Carl Reid serving as lead producers. Miles Alva is an executive producer. Sean King O’Grady, Josh Feldman, and Jesse Ford co-produced.
Before the Hulu release, Mr. Crocket will be having its premiere at Fantastic Fest next Thursday, September 26th. The festival’s Austin King wrote, “In the summer of 1993, Summer (Jerrika Hinton) is trying to start over after the sudden death of her husband. Her son Major (Ayden Gavin) is having trouble processing his feelings and acting out, and a mysterious VHS tape for a children’s television show called Mr. Crocket’s World is left in their mailbox. The good news is Major starts to behave, quietly watching his new favorite TV program; the bad news is Mr. Crocket’s World opens a portal for a maniacal killer to kidnap children and brutally murder their parents.
Based on his own short film produced as a part of Hulu’s BITE SIZE HALLOWEEN, director Brandon Espy makes the jump to feature filmmaking with an ode to ‘90s childhood, parental struggles, and bloody camp. What would it look like if the delightful puppet creatures populating BLUES CLUES came to life to eat you?
MR. CROCKET struck the Fantastic Fest programming team for set pieces reminiscent of the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET franchise and the tone of TALES FROM THE HOOD. Espy’s directorial debut is a fun nightmare slasher with a real emotional core. Elvis Nolasco’s performance as the titular villain, Mr. Crocket, alternates between charming host and sociopathic murderer. A terrifying mashup of Freddy Krueger and Mr. Rogers, he owns the frame whenever he is onscreen as a charismatic and demented personality that will enrapture you just as much as he does the children he kidnaps. So grab some popcorn and strap in for the world premiere of this kids TV show from hell, MR. CROCKET.“
What did you think of the Mr. Crocket trailer? Will you be watching this movie on Hulu next month? Let us know by leaving a comment below.