When Frank Darabont (THE GREEN MILE, THE MIST) appeared on a Comic-Con panel July 22 to promote The Walking Dead, he didn't realize he was a dead man walking. Neither did the cast and crew. Everyone was shocked when news broke three days later that AMC had taken the extraordinary step of firing Darabont from the network's biggest ratings hit.

Continued at The Hollywood Reporter.

AND

Four Teaser Trailers Released for FX's AMERICAN HORROR STORY [Videos]
Four new clues have been released for the upcoming FX drama pilot from Glee co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. The series is set to premiere on Wedenesday, Oct. 5 at 10/9c.

Continued at DailyBlam.

GUILLERMO DEL TORO

PLUS

Haute 100 Update: Katie Holmes Premiers New Horror Film in NYC [Photos]
Katie Holmes took the spotlight in New York City's Walter Reade Theatre on Monday night, August 8, for the premiere of her latest film Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, produced and co-written by horror master Guillermo del Toro (MIMIC, BLADE II, THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE, PAN'S LABYRINTH, HELLBOY [all]). We haven't seen Holmes on the big screen too much as of late, but she's happy with her role in the new thriller – because she's not your average scream queen.

Continued at HauteLiving.

ALSO

Guillermo Del Toro Says PG-13 Is The Refuge Of Cowards
On Monday night, the Film Society Of Lincoln Center hosted a screening of "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" as part of their Film Comment Selects series. The Guillermo del Toro-produced horror film is a remake of a 1973 made-for-TV film about a young couple being pursued by malevolent creatures in a spooky old house they've inherited. The new version swaps in Guy Pearce (RAVENOUS, MEMENTO, THE HURT LOCKER) and Katie Holmes (DISTURBING BEHAVIOR, THE GIFT, ABANDON, PHONE BOOTH, BATMAN BEGINS) as interior decorators renovating an old house and gives Pearce's character an 11-year-old daughter, Bailee Madison ("Brothers"), who ends up the subject of most of the torment.

Continued at IndieWire.

WASSMOR

Original KISS Drummer PETER CRISS Talks Horror Movies [Video]
In the video clip below, writer/director and "Detroit Rock City" movie producer Tim Sullivan (2001 MANIACS) chats with former KISS drummer Peter Criss about their mutual love of the horror genre that inspired four guys from Brooklyn to put on greasepaint and change the face of rock and roll forever.

Continued at Blabbermouth.

THE HOBBIT (Fantasy)
Hobbit Bilbo Baggins is drawn into a perilous quest after a visit from his friend Gandalf the Grey. Staring Martin Freeman. Directed by Peter Jackson. Casting (L.A.): Victoria Burrows and Scot Boland, Burrows/Boland Casting, 333 W. Washington Blvd., Ste. 309, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292. Currently shooting in New Zealand.

THE HOST (Sci-fi)
An alien soul inhabits the body of a captured woman struggling to find the last group of surviving humans. Starring Saoirse Ronan. Casting: Mindy Marin, Casting Artists, Inc./Bluewater Ranch, 1433 Sixth St., Santa Monica, CA 90401. Shoots in January.

PACIFIC RIM (Action)
In the future, humans must fight off alien invaders using robots. Directed by Guillermo del Toro. Casting: Margery Simkin, 4000 Warner Blvd., Bldg. 133, Rm. 104, Burbank, CA 91522. Shoots in November in Toronto.

R.I.P.D. (Action/Comic Book)
A recently murdered police officer joins the undead unit to try to track down his killer. Starring Ryan Reynolds. Casting: Deborah Aquila and Tricia Wood, Aquila/Wood Casting, 1680 Vine St., Ste. 806, L.A., CA 90028. Shoots in September.

WARM BODIES (Drama) A zombie falls in love with the girlfriend of one of his victims. Starring Nicholas Hoult. Directed by Jonathan Levine. Casting: Joanna Colbert and Richard Mento, Colbert/Mento Casting, 3867 Grand View Blvd., L.A., CA 90066. Shoots in August.

For a complete listing and vital tips on proper casting etiquette (only important if you actually want a chance at getting the job!), go to BackStage.com.

In 1984, high-ranking Norwegian diplomat Arne Treholt was tried and convicted of acting as a spy on behalf of the Soviet Union. But what if the courts got it wrong? What if the case against him was a sham? What if – dare we consider – Treholt was not a spy at all but a patriot of the highest order and the leader of a secret ninja force created by King Olav? A ninja force locked in a secret battle against all who would challenge Norwegian sovereignty?

A fictionalized account of the most notorious political scandal in Norwegian history, NORWEGIAN NINJA is a deliciously tongue-in-cheek spoof of the Cold War spy movie, with added ninja action. Blending historical events and actual newsreel footage of the Treholt affair with his own less-than-historical elements, debuting writer-director Thomas Cappelen Malling (a contributor to the upcoming horror anthology The ABCs of Death) creates a film that wryly questions just how truthful the truth really is. And then sends a ninja to punch the truth in the face.

NORWEGIAN NINJA is "hilarious and menacing, absurd and insightful, and an accomplished work of genre film making that authoritatively upends the cold-war spy thriller," novelist J.S. Marcus raved in The Wall Street Journal. 24framespersecond.netsaid the movie is "a loving tribute to all things Bond, with gadgets, aging ninjas and sky cars aplenty." Robert Koehler of Variety wrote, "Thomas Cappelen Malling's debut feature indeed delivers as expected in an intentionally cheesy sendup of espionage thrillers, old TV and Cold War politics."

Provocative in the vein of the "autobiographical" Chuck Barris tale Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, NORWEGIAN NINJA has helped lead to a reopening of Arne Treholt's case. The DVD brings the wider movie public into the loop of one of modern European history's most notorious events.

NORWEGIAN NINJA SPECIAL FEATURES

3 Deleted Scenes

6 Bonus Scenes

6 Featurettes IncludingInterview with actor Mads Ousal, writer-director Thomas Capplen Malling, and producer Eric Vogel.

Music Video

Trailer

The Newly Discovered Original Stereo Soundtrack Mix

Audio Commentary by Director James Glickenhaus

Theatrical Trailer and Television Spots (HD)
Disc Info:

Director: James Glickenhaus
Starring: Christopher George, Robert Ginty, and Samantha Eggar
Run Time: 104 minutes
Release Date: Sept 13, 2011
Language: English
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1)
Formats: Blu-ray and DVD
Region: Blu-ray and DVD: All Regions

Named one of Movieline's Most Anticipated Films of 2011, Anchor Bay Films releases the atmospheric thriller A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE September 6th. In the film directed by award-winning director Adam Wingard (POP SKULL), notorious serial killer Garrick Turrell (AJ Bowen: THE SIGNAL, HOUSE OF THE DEVIL) has just escaped police custody and resumed his killing spree. His former girlfriend and recovering alcoholic Sarah (Amy Seimetz) has recently moved to a small Midwestern town and is trying to put her life back together. She regularly attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, where she meets fellow addict Kevin (Joe Swanberg). Kevin is romantically interested in Sarah, but she remains withdrawn: her past continues to haunt her and may soon catch up with her, as Garrick is leaving a trail of bodies in his hunt to find her...

A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE has played at such prestigious film festivals including Sitges, the Toronto International Film Festival and Fantastic Fest.

MadButcher's fan art

Details of street closures and delays for motorists and pedestrians:

E. 9th Street from Euclid to Prospectwill be closed August 8 - September 1; alternate route is Carnegie, E. 18th Street and Superior.

Euclid Avenue from E. 6th Street to E. 12th Streetwill be closed August 15 - 24; alternate route is E. 6th Street, Superior, E. 18th and Carnegie.

Marvel's professional poster

Walnut Avenue from E. 9th Street to E. 12th Streetwill be closed August 22 - September 2; alternate route is E. 12th Street, Superior and Chester. Affected parking garage entrances have access via Superior and Chester.

South Roadway from Superior to Ontariowill be closed August 17 - 30; alternate route is Ontario and Superior.

The Detroit Superior Bridgewill be closed August 29; alternate route is the Main Avenue Bridge.

Intermittent Closures (traffic will be stopped for short periods of time) will occur at the following intersections from August 8 to September 2:

East 9th Street and Prospect
East 9th Street and Walnut
Superior and West Roadway

Visit ClevelandFilm.com for the latest updates on road closures.

One more thing. The Mad Butcher released his (her?) fan art poster for THE AVENGERS back in January of this year (see DailyBlam). Marvel has since released theirs and you know what? Marvel needs to hire MadButcher!

Synopsis: Necronos, one of the mightiest minions of the devil himself has come to earth to create an invincible army of the undead under leadership of barbaric demons, called Berzerkers. To achieve his goal Necronos needs numerous often very macabre and difficult to come by ingredients. So Satan sends him two assistants to achieve his goal - Goran, a Blood Demon and footman loyal to Necronos as well as The Mighty Witch to locate the chosen one - a virgin witch.

Written and directed by Marc Rohnstock and produced by Lars Rohnstock. The brothers surrounded themselves with an impressing cast presenting the top of the crop in European Independent Horror Cinema: Manoush, Tanja Karius, Timo Fuchs, Timo Rose, Thomas Kercmar, Thomas Sender, Nadine Trautwein, Jochen Taubert, Mario Zimmerschitt, Marcel Walz, Kim Sønderholm, Annika Strauss, Andreas Schnaas, Andreas Pape, Chris Vazquez, Martin Hentschel, Rod Usher, hardcore porn star Luna B. and many, many others.

Official imdb page:
IMDb.com/title/tt1605751/

EVADE entails a father and daughter who are caught off guard by an unstable family and held captive. Will they escape? Or will they be trapped in what could become their tomb? Writer/Director Lee Vervoort wanted to break away from the typical "20 somethings in a heap of trouble" and use a different approach with a new plot twist involved.

The film is slated for production for early 2012 with a release date to be announced. Funds are being raised on Indiegogo.com. Details can be found on the website at Rileyhollowfilms, where there are links directly to the IndieGoGo page, Facebook page, Twitter page and even their own YouTube channel where Vervoort will be posting updates as they occur. Take a look at the unofficial poster art and keep an eye out for EVADE, invading you in 2012.

Sunchaser Entertainment's Stephanie Riggs and BTD's Corey Moosa will produce. Arnold-Beutel will serve as executive producer along with Quinto and BTD's Neal Dodson and Sean Akers. The project is set to begin principal photography in August in New Mexico.

THE BANSHEE CHAPTER centers on a young, female journalist who follows the mysterious trail of a missing friend who had been experimenting with mind-altering chemicals developed in secret government drug tests. A fast-paced blend of fact and fiction, the film is based on real documents, actual test subject testimony, and uncovered secrets about programs run by the CIA.

"We are excited to branch out in our storytelling," explains Quinto. "THE BANSHEE CHAPTER is an opportunity for us to tackle another film with its roots in reality, but through the lens of horror."

BTD's first feature, J.C. Chandor's Thriller, MARGIN CALL, premiered at Sundance in 2011, competed at The Berlinale, opened New Directors / New Films at MoMa to critical acclaim, and will be released domestically by Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate on October 21. Quinto is producing an unscripted series for SyFy with RelativityREAL, starring photographer Tyler Shields. BTD's graphic novels published with Archaia, LUCID and MR. MURDER IS DEAD, were released at San Diego Comic-Con, and will both be widely available on October 11. BTD is also prepping a larger follow-up feature film with Chandor for the late fall.

As the Creative Director of Omnicom's high-tech interactive agency "Millions of Us," Erickson created break-through interactive stories, transmedia experiences, and live-action stories in virtual worlds, short films, and online communities. He wrote and directed an online alternate reality live-action thriller for the TERMINATOR franchise, created several 3-D virtual world experiences for Sony's new Playstation Home, and directed the online live action with animated monsters for DreamWork's MONSTERS VS. ALIENS.