Scott Derrickson: Last News

Courtney Howard It’s an audacious feat to combine multiple genres into one compelling feature, but “The Gorge” does just that. The premise holds more than a modicum of clever intrigue, blending sci-fi, romance, horror and action-adventure in a slow-burning character study centered on two broken-spirited, sharp-shooting loners protecting the world from evil. Screenwriter Zach Dean creates a patchwork offering where the gimmicky hook of monsters lurking below draws us in, then develops into solid chills.

Anya Taylor-Joy strikes a dramatic pose in a striking white dress on the red carpet at the premiere of her new movie The Gorge on Wednesday night (February 12) in Los Angeles.

William Earl Welcome to Horror Explorer, a curated column showcasing the month’s best movies, series, books and everything else spooky worth checking out. I’m William Earl, the editor of Variety.com and the publication’s resident horror enthusiast. Please drop me a line at wearl@variety.com if there’s something I should check out for next month’s missive. Heart Eyes (In theaters Feb.

Carolyn Giardina More than 6,500 people have signed a petition urging new production incentives in the wake of the Eaton, Hughes and Palisades fires that have devastated Los Angles since Jan. 7. The #StayInLA petition applauds Governor Newsom’s proposal to increase California’s film/TV tax incentive to $750 million annually, but says more is needed.

Nosferatu director Robert Eggers has been confirmed to write and direct the sequel of the fantasy classic Labyrinth.Home Alone director Chris Columbus and his daughter Eleanor will produce the sequel while Lisa and Brian Henson, the daughter and son of late director of the 1986 cult film and Muppets creator Jim Henson, will executive produce, according to Variety.It comes after reports circulated towards the end of last year that Eggers was in line to direct the movie.The original film, which starred David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin King and Jennifer Connelly as teenager Sarah Williams, has never had a sequel or a remake, but speculation has been rife for many years.As far back as 2016, reports were doing the rounds that a second instalment in the Labyrinth universe was in development, with Guardians Of The Galaxy co-writer Nicole Perlman said to be on board.Then in 2017, it was announced that Don’t Breathe and Alien: Romulus director Fede Alvarez had signed on to helm a sequel, but Alvarez dropped out in 2020.Later that year, it emerged that Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson had been enlisted to direct, with original star Jennifer Connelly in conversation to return to her role before exiting in 2023.It is unclear whether she will be returning to reprise her role at this stage.Eggers’ version of Nosferatu, a remake of the 1922 classic which in turn was based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, was released in the UK earlier this month.

A sequel to the cult classic Labyrinth is in the works!

Pat Saperstein Deputy Editor “Nosferatu” director Robert Eggers is set to write and direct the sequel to Jim Henson’s the 1986 cult fantasy movie “Labyrinth” for TriStar Pictures, Variety has confirmed. Eggers is writing the project with his writing partner Sjón, while Chris Columbus and Eleanor Columbus are producing alongside Lisa Henson.

Nosferatu director Robert Eggers is being lined up to direct a reboot of the fantasy classic Labyrinth.The 1986 cult film, directed by Muppets creator Jim Henson, produced by George Lucas, written by Monty Python star Terry Jones and starring David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin King, has never had a sequel or a remake, but speculation has been rife for many years.As far back as 2016, reports have been doing the rounds that a second instalment in the Labyrinth universe was in development, with Guardians Of The Galaxy co-writer Nicole Perlman said to be on board.Then in 2017, it was announced that Don’t Breathe director Fede Alvarez had signed on to helm a spinoff film, with Henson’s daughter Lisa producing, but Alvarez dropped out in 2020.Later that year, it emerged that Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson had been enlisted to direct, with original star Jennifer Connelly in conversation to return in her role as Sarah, the girl searching through the labyrinth to find her baby brother Toby.But now, it appears that the film might have taken a different path, with Eggers, also known for The Witch and The Lighthouse, being linked to the project by noted Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider (via The Insneider).The report suggests that Eggers has signed on for the project with Sony Pictures, which he would also co-write with the Icelandic screenwriter and frequent Björk collaborator Sjón, who also worked on The Northman with Eggers.Lisa Henson, according to the report, remains as a producer, alongside Home Alone and Harry Potter director Chris Columbus, and Alexander Skarsgård, who also starred in The Northman, and is known for Big Little Lies and Succession, is being tipped to take on the role of Jareth.None of the reports have

A sequel for The Black Phone is on the way!

Sparks fly between Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller in their new survival action movie, which is sure to get hearts racing.

EXCLUSIVE: Arianna Rivas is boarding Scott Derrickson’s Blumhouse/Universal sequel Black Phone 2. The actress joins the original pic’s ensemble of 4x Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies and Miguel Mora, with new addition Oscar nominee Demián Bichir. 

horror films of all time.Conducted every year since 2020, MoneySupermarket’s Science of Scare study has involved hundreds of volunteers who watch hours of horror movies while having their heart rate monitored.The films are then ranked based on the effect on the audience’s heart rate, for which they are assigned a score based on the change in heart rate and the highest heart rate reached among the cinemagoers.According to the study, the scariest horror film of all time is Scott Derrickson’s 2012 supernatural horror,  Sinister, with the audience experiencing a 34 per cent uplift in heart rate on average when watching the movie.Coming in at a close second was the 2020 Zoom-based horror film Host, followed by Skinamarink, Insidious and The Conjuring.Hereditary placed sixth in the ranking while Smile came in seventh. The top 10 is rounded out by The Exorcism Of Emily Rose, Talk To Me and Hell House LLC.The list is largely dominated by modern horror films, several of which had been released in 2024.

EXCLUSIVE: Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill‘s production company Crooked Highway has hired Vince Cheng as President of Production and Adriana Fernandez as Director of Development, Deadline has learned.

The Black Phone is returning for a sequel!

EXCLUSIVE: After world premiering his Angelina Jolie-helmed war drama Without Blood at the Toronto Film Festival, Academy Award nominee Demián Bichir has come aboard for a role in The Black Phone 2, Universal’s sequel to its 2021 horror hit from director Scott Derrickson.

EXCLUSIVE: Horror filmmakers Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill have signed a first look deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment to produce feature films for Screen Gems under their Crooked Highway banner.

Scott Wampler, the co-host of the popular Kingcast podcast on the works of Stephen King, was found dead at his home in Austin, Texas, today. No details were immediately available, including his age and cause of death.

The director of the first Doctor Strange movie is opening up about almost casting Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role.

The Black Phone 2 is in the works!

Scott Derrickson has been set to direct an adaptation of Davis Grubb’s classic 1953 novel The Night of the Hunter for Universal Pictures, working from his script written with C. Robert Cargill, his longtime collaborator on The Black Phone, Doctor Strange and other projects.

EXCLUSIVE: Four-time Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke (First Reformed), Mason Thames (How to Train Your Dragon, Incoming), Madeleine McGraw (Toy Story 4, Secrets of Sulphur Springs), Jeremy Davies (Justified) and Miguel Mora (The Black Phone) are set to return for Black Phone 2, the sequel to the hit 2022 Blumhouse-Crooked Highway Production-Universal production. A theatrical release of June 27, 2025 has been set.