The cast of theFaces of Deathremake in the works at Legendary Entertainment continues to fill out, as nowJermaine Fowler(Sorry to Bother You) has been announced as the latest actor to join the film. No details have been revealed about the character Fowler is playing, as plot details are still being kept under lock and key by the studio. But we know who else is starring in the film, as Fowler joins previously announced cast members Barbie Ferreira (Euphoria), Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things), Josie Totah (Saved by the Bell), and Charli XCX.
Fowler’s casting comes just ahead of the release of the comedy-horror filmThe Blackening, which will be put into theaters by Lionsgate on June 16. The actor’s voice can also be heard in the new animated Marvel seriesMoon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. Some of his other credits include starring in the CBS seriesSuperior Donutsand having roles in recent films likeAm I OK?,Late Bloomers, and Neflix’sRiverdance: The Animated Adventure.
Production on the newFaces of Deathmovie is currently underway in Louisiana. Daniel Goldhaber is directing the film using a screenplay co-written with Isa Mazzei. While specific plot details haven’t been shared, the Goldhaber and Mazzei have teased that the film will update the story for modern times, focusing on viral videos on the internet over the bootleg VHS tapes that inspired the originalFaces of Deathfilm.
“Faces of Deathwas one of the first viral video tapes, and we are so lucky to be able to use it as a jumping-off point for this exploration of cycles of violence and the way they perpetuate themselves online,” the two said in a statement when the project was announced, perDeadline.
Mazzei iz executive procuing alongside Rick Benattar. Susan Montford and Don Murphy of Angry Films are producing with Greg Gilreath and Adam Hendricks of Divide/Conquer. Cory Kaplan and Derek Bishe are co-producing.
Related:Charli XCX to Make Feature Film Debut in Faces of Death Reboot
Faces of Death Gets Updated
The originalFaces of Deathmovie was released in 1978. Written and directed by John Alan Schwartz, the film features Michael Carr portraying pathologist Francis B. Gross, serving as the narrator of the documentary-style movie. The movie mostly consists of new footage presented as “real” footage of actual deaths or the immediate aftermath, though a certain amount of actual death footage was worked in. This made the movie highly controversial, getting it banned in more than 50 countries worldwide.
Controversy creates cash, however, andFaces of Deathspawned a franchise, generating a slew of sequels. Various imitators would also be released. It may have been a matter of time before the franchise made its way to getting remade by Hollywood’s remake trend. Though, chances are, the filmmakers will have learned from the mistakes of the original and will be omitting any actual death footage. With that said, if done right, the movie could still wind up just as disturbing.
