PUPPET MASTER: THE LITTLEST REICH, a reboot of Full Moon's popular PUPPET MASTER franchise, begins filming in Dallas, Texas today, and ahead of the start of production it has been revealed that the film's cast is an interesting mix of surprises and familiar faces.
Before this announcement, the rumor had been going around that the film would star Udo Kier – which certainly wouldn't have been a surprise, because Kier is everywhere. He is now confirmed to be in LITTLEST REICH, playing the puppet master Toulon. Kier is joined in the cast by genre icon Barbara Crampton (who had a cameo in the original PUPPET MASTER), Michael Paré, Jenny Pellicer, Nelson Franklin, Alex Beh, Tina Parker, Skeeta Jenkins, and Charlyne Yi – yes, the awkwardly funny actress from comedies like KNOCKED UP, PAPER HEART, and THIS IS 40.
The presence of Yi in the cast of something like this is a surprise, but not nearly as big of a surprise as the actor who's playing the lead in the film: Thomas Lennon (pictured above), who is known almost exclusively for starring in and/or writing comedies. I can't say I ever expected Lennon to star in a horror movie, especially not a PUPPET MASTER reboot. He did previously dabble in horror with 2013's HELL BABY, but that film was still overwhelmingly comedic. It will be interesting to see just how seriously PUPPET MASTER: THE LITTLEST REICH is going to be played.
The filmmakers have said all along that LITTLEST REICH would have the "comedic tendencies" of the Full Moon PUPPET MASTER films, but none of those have been outright comedies. (Maybe PUPPET MASTER VS. DEMONIC TOYS was, but that wasn't a Full Moon production, it was made by the Sci-Fi Channel.) It has also been promised that the reboot will feature "brutally inventive puppet kills".
Scripted by BONE TOMAHAWK's S. Craig Zahler and directed by Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund (WITHER, WE ARE MONSTERS), PUPPET MASTER: THE LITTLEST REICH has the following synopsis:
A recently divorced young man discovers a mint condition Blade doll in his deceased brother’s closet and plans to sell the toy at a convention in Oregon celebrating the 30th anniversary of the infamous Toulon Murders. All hell breaks loose at the Postville Lodge during the auction when a strange force animates all of the various puppets throughout the convention as they go on a bloody killing spree.
Zahler's story digs into the back story of Toulon, which should give Kier a good amount of stuff to do in the film.
Full Moon founder Charles Band serves as an executive producer on THE LITTLEST REICH. While this reboot heads into production, Band is also putting the finishing touches on the latest sequel in the original franchise, PUPPET MASTER: AXIS TERMINATION.
Kier