Originally set for release in October 2009 (!) but then stuck in MGM's financial mire where they couldn't even afford to distribute and market the film, including the last proposed release of this past January -
Deadline are now reporting that Lionsgate have stepped in and will release
Joss Whedon's and
Drew Goddard's horror film
Cabin in the Woods, perhaps as early as October. And as actor
Chris Hemsworth is gaining universal plaudits for his lead performance in
Thor right now with what is likely to be a big hit and his breakout role, you can see why Lionsgate have suddenly got excited about the film that has been completed but stuck on the shelf for way too long. How a movie from the creator of
Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Firefly and the writer behind
Cloverfield and who was a lynchpin in
Lost and
Alias has been on the shelf for so long without another distributor jumping in is just baffling, especially as there's only been good buzz about the film. Whedon/Goddard co-wrote it together and Goddard directed it, his first outing behind the camera. Shrouded in secrecy ever since it was first announced, The Cabin in the Woods is still somewhat of a mystery, however the supposedly touted 'cerebral' horror film did get something of a reveal in
Februray 2009 when /film came across a script. Possible
spoilers below, but there report detailed that the film begins with the two white collar characters played by the great
Richard Jenkins and
Bradley Whitford in the cabin where they are joined by the usual group of cliched horror victims when
the full extent of the white-collared ones plan comes into focus. They are luring the kids here to have them transgress so that they might then be punished. They are god-like manipulators, shady business dealers, adults to be suspicious of, aloof yet blood hungry audience and cyncial film makers all rolled into one. The cabin is rigged with carefully selected props, gimmicks and cameras that allow the overseers to both spy on and interfere with the college kids. As things are warming up we are given the idea that there are many different ways in which it could go very wrong for the victims, and that employees of the mysterious organisation behind this scheme have held a sweepstakes on just how its going to pan out. The various possibilities are shown to include Vampires, Werewolves, Aliens, Clowns, Scarecrows, Zombies and, ho ho, an Angry Molesting Tree. The zombies come first
Which sounds like
Big Brother meets a horror film and if youve seen a small time british horror by the name of
My Little Eye, it kind of goes in the same direction as this and although I havent seen it, the third act was described as being similar to
Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. The movie still sounds cool despite the movie sounding very formulaic with its treatment of classic horror genres but as I said at the time, I would hate for it to go through the motions so now its a zombie film now its a vampire movie now its EVIL DEAD. You know? At one point the movie was to be transformed into a 3D conversion but I imagine MGM ran out of money before they could complete that, so presumably it'll be in 3D if Lionsgate drum up the cash to convert it. Glad to hear that we might finally get to see the movie. I would half expect it to maybe screen at Comic Con as Whedon will be in full Avengers marketing control and screening a geeky movie he made with Thor a while back will probably get the crowd pumped. Meanwhile
Red Dawn, the other high profile MGM casualty, which most recently
attempted to change the nationality of it's villains and ironically also stars Chris Hemsworth, remains on the shelf despite being completed years ago.