EXCLUSIVE: Iconic filmmakers Joe Dante and Roger Corman are teaming with Emmy-nominated veteran producer Brad Krevoy, CEO of MPCA, on Little Shop of Halloween Horrors, a reboot of Corman’s famed 1960 horror comedy, Little Shop of Horrors.
A reimagining intended to jumpstart a new franchise, Little Shop of Halloween Horrors will be directed by Dante (Gremlins, The Howling), from a script by Charles S. Haas (Gremlins 2: The New Batch), with Corman and Krevoy co-producing.
Originating as a low-budget genre flick directed by Corman and co-starring a young Jack Nicholson, the first Little Shop of Horrors quickly cemented itself as a cult classic following its release in 1960. Shot on a shoestring budget, pic tells the story of a florist who discovered a strange plant with a craving for human flesh. As the plant grows, Seymour must feed it victims to keep it satisfied, leading to a series of darkly comedic and increasingly twisted events.
Pic was propelled to mainstream popularity by a 1982 off-Broadway musical adaptation, with music by Alan Menken and book and lyrics by Howard Ashman, which itself inspired Frank Oz’s 1986 musical horror comedy of the same name. Starring Rick Moranis, Steve Martin, Jim Belushi, John Candy, Christopher Guest and Bill Murray, among others, that film from Warner Bros was nominated for two Oscars, in the categories of Best Original Song and Visual Effects. The stage musical made its Broadway debut with a revival in 2003.
Affectionately referred to as “King of the B-movies” and “The Pope of Pop Cinema,” Corman developed Little Shop of Horrors when he was given two days to use the sets that had been left standing from his previous film, A Bucket of Blood. He completed the film in two days and one night.
Having directed more than 70 films and produced more than 300 over his prolific seven-decade career, Corman was an early trailblazer in independent cinema. Also known for cult films like The Masque of the Red Death, Death Race 2000, and Piranha, he was the youngest filmmaker ever to have a retrospective at the Cinematheque Francaise and has earned Lifetime Achievement Awards from more than 40 film festivals. Corman was awarded an Honorary Oscar in 2009.
Beginning his filmmaking career in the ’70s as an apprentice of Corman’s, Dante’s got his first shot at directing on Corman’s low-budget exploitation flick Hollywood Boulevard. Best known for his classic 1984 film Gremlins, he’s directed more than 40 films and television projects to date. Other notable credits include The Howling, Innerspace, and Small Soldiers.
Producing more than 200 film and TV projects over the last 37 years, MPCA’s Netflix pic Irish Wish, marking its second collaboration with Lindsay Lohan on the heels of chart-topper Falling for Christmas, releases today. Also coming up for release this year is the company’s Netflix pic Mother of the Bride starring Brooke Shields, Benjamin Bratt and Miranda Cosgrove. Additionally, MPCA has two films made for Republic Pictures debuting this year: the Jenna Ortega rom-com Winter Spring Summer or Fall, directed by Tiffany Paulsen, as well as The Image of You, a thriller based on the bestselling novel by UK author Dame Adele Parks, which stars Sasha Pieterse, Parker Young, Nestor Carbonell and Mira Sorvino.
Dante is repped by Gersh, Echo Lake Entertainment, and Gang, Tyre, Ramer.