While some horror series fade into obscurity or repetitiveness over time, there are others than fans clamor for year after year. THE EVIL DEAD series is one of those but PHANTASM is the one we are actually getting a new film for. Director Don Coscarelli has made some cool movies like BUBBA HO-TEP and JOHN DIES AT THE END, but nothing quite compares to PHANTASM. The supernatural/science fiction horror series follows a core group of characters as they battle the evil Tall Man (Angus Scrimm). The first film came out in 1979 and the fourth was released back in 1998. Now, over 15 years later, we get the final chapter.
Entertainment Weekly shared the first trailer and synopsis for PHANTASM V: RAVAGER which will conclude the crazy epic series that featured flying metal balls of death and evil dwarves from an alternate dimension. Returning will be the entire original cast including Scrimm, Reggie Bannister, Bill Thornbury, and A. Michael Baldwin.
RAVAGER features Reggie Bannister (a veteran of all five films) in his decades-long pursuit of the malevolent Tall Man, and it finally forces him to confront the mysteries at the heart of the Phantasm saga. The entire original cast is back including Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Kat Lester and Angus Scrimm, along with some great new characters. Coscarelli allows, “There are also some surprises thrown in that I promise will astonish long-time fans.”
Coscarelli handed over directing duties to music video and animation director David Hartman. Filming took place over the last two years in California and while a release date is not set yet, expect to see it sometime in the near future. For horror and PHANTASM fans, this is very exciting news. Check out the teaser below.