Welcome to the Blumhouse: Amazon unveils final four films
David Farnor | On 29, Oct 2020
Amazon has unveiled the final four films in its Welcome the Blumhouse partnership with Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Television.
The eight-film anthology officially launched this year, with the first quartet of horrors arriving on Amazon Prime Video: The Lie from acclaimed writer/director Veena Sud, Black Box from up-and-coming writer/director Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr, Evil Eye from promising young directors Elan Dassani and Rajeev Dassani, and Nocturne from filmmaker Zu Quirke.
The next chapter of four films will again comprise genre thrillers aiming to highlight female and emerging filmmakers and diverse casts. Centred around unsettling themes of institutional horrors and personal phobias, the films tap into people’s deepest fears. These social thrillers present a distinctive vision and unique perspective.
The slate of titles are: The Manor written and directed by Axelle Carolyn, Black as Night from director Maritte Lee Go, Madres directed by Ryan Zaragoza and Bingo from director Gigi Saul Guerrero.
The Manor is written and directed by Axelle Carolyn, and stars Barbara Hershey, Bruce Davison, Nicholas Alexander, Jill Larsen, Fran Bennett and Katie Amanda Keane. After suffering a stroke, Judith Albright moves into a historic nursing home, where she begins to suspect something supernatural is preying on the residents. In order to escape she’ll need to convince everyone around her that she doesn’t actually belong there after all. Executive produced by Jason Blum, Jeremy Gold, Marci Wiseman, Lisa Bruce, Sandy King and Richard J Bosner.
Black as Night is directed by Maritte Lee Go and written by Sherman Payne. The cast stars Asjha Cooper, Fabrizio Guido, Craig Tate, Keith David, Mason Beauchamp, Abbie Gayle and Frankie Smith. A teenage girl with self-esteem issues finds confidence in the most unlikely way, by spending her summer battling vampires that prey on New Orleans’ disenfranchised with the help of her best friend, the boy she’s always pined for, and a peculiar rich girl. Executive produced by Jason Blum, Jeremy Gold, Marci Wiseman, Lisa Bruce, Maggie Malina and Guy Stodel.
Madres is directed by first-time feature director Ryan Zaragoza and written by Marcella Ochoa & Mario Miscione. Starring Tenoch Huerta, Ariana Guerra, Evelyn Gonzalez, Kerry Cahill, and Elpidia Carrillo. A Mexican-American couple expecting their first child relocate to a migrant farming community in 1970’s California. When the wife begins to experience strange symptoms and terrifying visions, she tries to determine if it’s related to a legendary curse or something more nefarious. Executive produced by Jason Blum, Jeremy Gold, Marci Wiseman, Lisa Bruce, Sanjay Sharma and Matthew Myers.
Bingo is directed by Gigi Saul Guerrero and written by Shane McKenzie & Gigi Saul Guerrero, along with Perry Blackshear. In the Barrio of Oak Springs live a strong and stubborn group of elderly friends who refuse to be gentrified. Their leader, Lupita, keeps them together as a community, a family. But little did they know, their beloved Bingo hall is about to be sold to a much more powerful force than money itself. Executive produced by Jason Blum, Jeremy Gold, Marci Wiseman and Raynor Shima.
“Coming off the successful launch of the first four films of the program, which has surpassed our expectations, we are excited to reveal the next chapter coming in 2021,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios. “The spine-tingling, edge of your seat thrills continues in this next collection of titles that will surely entertain, surprise and shock our global customers.”
“We’re thrilled to see how audiences around the world have responded to the films in the Welcome to the Blumhouse slate. We couldn’t be prouder of the work of these talented filmmakers, cast and crew on all the movies,” added Jeremy Gold, President Blumhouse Television. “And we’re excited to introduce the next wave of films and the incredible filmmakers at their helm.”
The four films will launch in 2021.