The White House meets The Shining in an upcoming horror movie coming from Don’t Breathe director, Fede Alvarez. Though relatively new to heading up feature films, Alvarez has long since made his mark on the horror genre.
Evil Dead fans will know Alvarez from his 2013 reboot of the cult horror hit, though not all of them will necessarily be fans of that film. For some, Alvarez’s very dark and gory filmmaking style did not mesh well with the somewhat comical heart of such a beloved horror franchise. None the less, Alvarez recruited a substantial fanbase after Evil Dead arrived, with a great deal of anticipation being focussed on his future potential. Some three years later, Alvarez was back with Don’t Breathe, a tense and gritty horror thriller about a group of young thieves who break into a blind man’s home. The film found a more receptive audience than Evil Dead, suggesting that perhaps Alvarez’s true talents lay in his own, original work. Recently, Alvarez created the Bad Hombre production company alongside Rodolfo Sayagues and together the two filmmakers have entered into a new first-look deal with Legendary Pictures.
As part of that first-look deal, THR has just revealed Alvarez’s next directorial effort. The horror filmmaker will delve into the world of politics in a way that audiences are likely to have never seen before, in an as-of-yet untitled horror thriller set in the White House. That’s right, the home of the sitting president of the United States is going to be the focal point of what is sure to be some serious Alvarez carnage. Described by Alvarez and his production company as “The Shining set in the White House”, the film has no official release date, but will be directed by Alvarez, with a script from relative newcomer Joe Epstein.
As unfortunate as it is that we don’t currently have more information on Alvarez’s upcoming film, there’s enough intrigue in the short pitch to keep fans going for months. Arguably one of the most iconic horror films of all time, The Shining remains a tense, psychologically terrifying look into isolation and the slow break down of a family unit. All of those attributes would fit perfectly well into a film set in the White House, particularly at a time when tension, fear and break down are rife within politics. It will be particularly interesting to see if Alvarez’s film focuses on the president and his family and exactly how that isolation will be handled in a place that is reported to have close to 2,000 full time employees.
This being a film that has to do with politics, and especially the fact that it focuses on the home of the president of the United States, there is sure to be a certain degree of controversy attached to it. Alvarez will obviously be expecting as much, and any controversy that arises from the film will likely only increase its demand to be seen. The recent issues attached to Todd Phillips’ Joker have proven that controversy is a good thing when it comes to movies, meaning that Alvarez, by mixing classic horror with some relatable and timely themes, could end up with his biggest hit yet.
Source: THR