Ben Templesmith Talks About “Hoxford” Film Style and Dream Cast

MTV Splash Page has posted a short interview with Ben Templesmith, writer, artist and creator of “werewolf prison romance” comic Welcome to Hoxford. Templesmith talks about what a Hoxford film would look like if he was calling the shots.

“Well if it were me — and let’s be clear it’s definitely not up to me — you’d need someone who can really play with visuals and would be willing to use a lot less CGI and a lot more prosthetics/puppetry,” said Templesmith of the type of director he’d like to see on the film.

“I was heavily influenced on the creature side by the bad critters from ‘The Dark Crystal’” he continued. “But the book is pretty dark with a little nasty humour thrown in, so if they can keep that tone, I’d be happy.”

He also mentions the names of a few actors he’s imagined in various Hoxford roles, including Vin Diesel, Winona Ryder and Lance Henrikson. Werewolf prosthetics and puppetry instead of CGI? Lance Henrikson? Here’s hoping Chris Columbus is paying attention!

May. 19th 2009

Strangeways: Murder Moon Author Giving Away Free Copies

Strangeways: Murder Moon author Matt Maxwell found Werewolf News via Twitter and then left a comment on an August post about his dark werewolf western. He’s giving away copies of Murder Moon on a weekly basis– all you need to do to get your name in the draw is correctly answer a question about the newest Strangeways book, The Thirsty (it’s about vampires, but he covered werewolves first, so we’ll forgive him). You can read new pages of The Thirsty as they’re released, so keep an eye on the Strangeways site!

May. 19th 2009

13 Hrs – New Werewolf Movie Starring Tom Felton

13hrs-poster

I found a reference to a new werewolf movie in a tabloid site article about Gemma Atkinson. The article, which misspells the title as “13 Hours”, describes Atkinson’s role as “battling murderous werewolves dressed in a mini-skirt and high heels.” As much as I would love to see werewolves in miniskirts and high heels, I don’t think that’s what I was meant to take away from the article.

In any case, Gemma Atkinon really is starring in a horror film called 13 Hrs, along with Tom Felton (who you might have seen previously as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films). Here’s a synopsis:

A full moon hangs in the night sky and lightning streaks across dark storm clouds.  Sarah Tyler returns to her troubled family home in the isolated countryside, for a much put-off visit.  As the storm rages on, Sarah, her family and friends shore up for the night, cut off from the outside world.  But something comes out of the driving rain and darkness.  Something that holds a dark secret so devastating that, in one night, it could wipe out the entire family.

Trapped, Sarah and her brothers and friends must use their heads as well as their physical strength to survive not only the thing that is hunting them down one by one – but their own entrapment as the besieged group turns in on itself.  Can they survive the horror stalking them?  Or is their enemy already amongst them and has it always been? Can they survive for 13 hours?

According to the production company’s web site, 13 Hrs was meant to show at Cannes this year, but in this IndieFlicks interview director  Jonathan Glendening talks about skipping Cannes to focus on editing, polishing and FX:

Fortunately, I’m not having to rush it for Cannes, so to some extent we can take our time. I deliver my directors cut tomorrow, which I think has taken about 7 weeks. So after a couple of producer tinkerings, that’ll take another few days. Then starts the sound, music, Fx process, and grading so those will take another couple of months.

Ah, the joys of post production. In the meantime, you can check out the teaser trailer here:

May. 19th 2009

Werewolves on the Moon: Versus Vampires, Issue #1

Sometimes the only things necessary are a synopsis, an image and a link.

Through all of history, on the night of the full moon, the bloodcurdling cries of werewolves have pierced the night sky. For centuries, werewolves have had to content themselves with shortened forays of feral change as dictated by the source of their power — the moon! But all that is about to change as three werewolf friends — Ted, Jeff, and Stan, leave Earth and travel to the lunar surface in a quest to become kings of the moon! Unfortunately, Moon Patrol captain Maggie Pilgrim has other plans . . . as does the hive of vampires living on the dark side!

Oh heavens yes. From the creators of Star War: Clone Wars, Werewolves on the Moon: Versus Vampires issue #1 hits stores June 3rd. Check out a 5-page preview or place a pre-order here. (Edit: you can get the whole series in a trade now!)  Thanks for publishing stuff like this, Dark Horse.

May. 19th 2009

Man Man – “Rabbit Habits” Music Video

The official music video for Man Man’s song “Rabbit Habits” (from the album of the same name) is a story of loneliness, lycanthropy and love.

Werewolf transformations, circus freaks, rabbit ice cream cones and severed limbs. Aaaaah, love.

May. 18th 2009

Gladiators V Werewolves

This might be a matchup worth watching!  AV Pictures is currently working on a werewolves, swords and sandals film called Gladiators V Werewolves: Edge of Empire. Here’s the synopsis and a rather awesome looking poster / one-sheet of one of the film’s titular beasts (if anyone knows of a larger version of this image, can you please post a link in the comments?):

Gladiators V Werewolves poster

The Hunt. The Trap. The Games.

AD 160. The Romans occupy Britain, and the great Hadrian’s Wall divides the land, built to keep back the northern warrior tribes, and something far more dangerous; a clan of savage wolf-like creatures which roam the lowlands.

Word reaches Governor Flavius that the Emperor has decreed that new, more fearsome beasts should be captured for the games. The ambitious Governor, having heard rumours of the fierce wolf-beasts beyond the great wall, senses an opportunity to win favour with the Emperor and even a place in the senate.

The heroic Centurian, Titus, is tasked with hunting and trapping the wolf-creatures. Titus and his legionaries track the beasts to their mountain lair and discover a warrior clan who transform at will into mighty, armour clad werewolves. In a fierce battle, the beasts slaughter half of the legionaries. Titus and his surviving men escape and ensnare the pursuing werewolves.

The Governor is delighted he has his prized new fighting savages, but Titus realizes that anyone bitten by a werewolf is cursed to become one of their kind. He warns the Governor that the werewolves pose a grave threat if they increase their numbers. Titus’s reward for challenging the Governor is to be stripped of his rank and thrown into the arena where the beasts’ savagery will be tested.

Excited spectators cram the amphitheatre. Titus and the land’s best gladiators are pitted against the ferocious werewolves, but the beasts are powerful and smart. For every two fighters they slay, they leave one wounded and alive. Titus’s fears are confirmed; the werewolves are building an army. The final day of the games will be a blood and thunder battle, more savage than any Roman has seen or experienced before.

No release date or cast has been announced that I can find, but as soon as more information becomes available you’ll find it here.

May. 18th 2009

Media Molecule Releasing Monster Costumes for LBP, Including a Werewolf

Media Molecule - Monsters

Monster costumes in May? That’s what I like to hear! On May 21st Media Molecule, the creators of LittleBigPlanet for the PlayStation 3, are releasing Monsters as two downloadable content packs. The Monsters Kit pack ($3.99 / €3.99) contains monster-related materials, stickers, objects and sounds. The Monster Costumes pack ($2.99 / €2.99 for the set, or $0.99 each) boasts four monster costumes– Zombie, Sackula, Bride of Sackula and (what else?) Werewolf. Each costume breaks down into parts so you can mix and match costume components: the Werewolf costume contains a Werewolf head, Werewolf torso, Werewolf tail and Werewolf trousers. Check out the trailer below to see all four costumes in action.

May. 18th 2009

WolfTeam: Counterstrike, But With Werewolves

Today I came across this hackenslash post that talks about a new online first-person shooter called WolfTeam.

WolfTeam plays similar to most first-person shooter games but adds some elements of fantasy and science fiction; instead of ordinary humans soldiers with weapons, players can transform into werewolves that are more resilient against weapons but themselves are unable to carry any while in this state.

Characters that transform into werewolves are able to move faster, jump higher and can climb walls. They use their claws instead to attack enemies.

The game was developed by South Korean developer softnyx for Internet cafes in the Philippines. It’s totally free (although sadly it’s only for Windows), and I’m downloading the client now. If it’s anywhere near as awesome as it sounds, I’ll be sure to post about it here. I have the fingers of one hand crossed and the other on WASD.

May. 13th 2009

The Top Five Worst Werewolf Book Covers Ever

Werewolf News is pleased to present this special report from jujitsu / River City Ransom sensation Mike Roukas.

There is a fine line between the intentional retardedness of Teen Wolf and the unwitting ineptitude of the JarJar Binks-era Star Wars movies. I regret to say that when it comes to making werewolf-related media, it’s very easy to cross that line and blast into uncharted dimensions of stupidity. The following are what I believe to be the top five aesthetic blunders in the wide, wide world of werewolf book covers. Please keep in mind that the cringe-inducing ineptitude of these covers doesn’t necessarily reflect the writing inside them, but it probably does.

(more…)

May. 12th 2009

“Dead Of Night” Set Report and Photos

For those following Dead of Night, the film adaptation of the 1980s’s comic book Dylan Dog, ComicBookMovie.com has posted some photos and a set report involving a zombie swarm (in which the author takes part).

The world of Dylan Dog is one where supernatural creatures like werewolves, zombies and vampires exist, although they tend to stay hidden from humans. The movie stars Brandon Routh as Dylan, a reluctant paranormal investigator, and Sam Huntington as Marcus, Dylan’s best friend and partner. Anita Briem also stars as a mysterious woman who becomes Dylan’s client, for whom Dylan investigates the murder of her father by what appears to be a werewolf.

May. 11th 2009