Freddy vs. Jason
In a recent interview with horroronline, Robert Englund stated that the film WILL be made. The script is still in re-writes and a new director has been chosen for the project. Englund guessed that production won't start until late 2001.


Halloween 8:H2K

More news has emerged on the next entry in the Halloween series, Halloween 8. The Official Halloween Website is reporting that Whitney Ransick has signed on to direct the film with production slated to begin this April in Vancouver, Canada. As previously reported, Larry Brand handled the scripting duties for the film. The producers of the film have confirmed that they are still aiming to have Halloween 8 in theaters this year. Daily Variety is reporting that Kathleen Robertson has signed on for a lead role in the upcoming Scary Movie 2. The sequel, from Dimension Films, hopes to capitalize on the success of the first film, which grossed over million domestically. Robertson will join the cast that already consists of Anna Faris, Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, and Chris Elliot.


Scary Movie 2

Chris Elliot (Something About Mary) has signed on to join the cast of Scary Movie 2, according to Daily Variety. Keenen Ivory Wayans will direct the sequel that is set to start production this week with a scheduled release date of July 4.


Box Office

The final box office numbers are in from the box office for the weekend of February 9-11. Here is how horror-related films fared: 1 - Hannibal - ,003,121 8 - Valentine - ,826,454 21 - The Gift - ,349 23 - Shadow of the Vampire - ,792 48 - Dracula 2000 - ,492 52 - Unbreakable - ,610


Blair Witch Project

According to Daily Variety, Artisan Entertainment and Haxan Films have settled their long-running dispute over the profits distributed for The Blair Witch Project. Under the original agreement between the two companies on the film, directors of Blair Witch, Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick, were to receive ,000 for every every million in grosses over million. The picture earned over million domestically so that meant their take should have been over million. But since Artisan could technically deduct overall marketing costs against a final gross tally, they chose to sell-through on the video release which created higher marketing costs than those associated with video rental. Haxan charged that Artisan was laying off as much as to 80 million in marketing costs that didn't exist. An attorney had been hired by the Blair Witch team and started an investigation and talks with Artisan, but a lawsuit had never been filed. The settlement keeps Artisan from having to assume any blame and therefore they will not have to be audited. Artisan has also agreed to finance the prequel film to The Blair Witch Project, which Sanchez and Myrick will have complete control of as writer-directors.


The Exorcist

A casting call was held on Wednesday, February 7 in Los Angeles, California for a film which will be a prequel to The Exorcist. An African-American male between the ages of 10-14 is needed for the film. Exorcist: Dominion was written by actor/director Caleb Carr. According to Popcorn.co.uk the film will tell the story of Father Merrin's first encounter with the demon Pazuzu, while he was doing missionary work in Africa. The film will also detail the birth of Pazuzu and follow his life while he tries to find a vessel through whom to bring about the apocalypse and eternal damnation for all souls.


Scary Movie 2

According to Daily Variety, production on Scary Movie 2 is slated to begin on February 13 in Los Angeles, California. The Dimension Films' slasher parody will again be director by Keenen Ivory Wayans, with participation in the film by Wayans' brothers, actors and screenwriters, Shawn and Marlon. No plot details of the sequel have been released, but Anna Faris will reprise her lead role of Cindy Campbell. The film is scheduled to be released on July 4.


Hellraiser: Hellseeker

According to various sources, Ashley Laurence will be part of the cast for Hellraiser: Hellseeker after all. Earlier reports said she would not return and her character had been written out of the script. Laurence appeared in the first two films of the series and apparently her character has been rewritten into the script of this sequel. She joins Doug Bradley who returns to play the role of Pinhead, as previously reported. Production, under the direction of Rick Bota and a script by Carl Dupre, was slated to begin in January.


Blade 2: Bloodhunt

According to Daily Variety, Matt Schulze has signed on to join the cast of Blade 2: Bloodhunt. The film, starring Wesley Snipes, is slated to start production in March in Prague. Shulze will play a member of the vampire unit.


Scary Movie/13 Ghosts

According to Daily Variety, Shannon Elizabeth will be honored as the year's Female star of Tomorrow by ShoWest 2001. Elizabeth will receive the award during the trade's award gala in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 8. Elizabeth starred in last year's hit film Scary Movie and has just completed production on Joel Silver and Robert Zemeckis' remake of the 1960 horror thriller 13 Ghosts. The film tells the story of a family who has inherited an eerie mansion from a distant relative. The family soon find themselves sharing the mansion with ghosts that can only be seen through special goggles.


Valentine

Warner Brothers' Valentine took the second spot in the weekend box office for February 2-4, taking in an estimated .1 million. The opening weekend take nearly equals the film's production budget. The film, starring David Boreanaz, Denise Richards, and Jessica Capshaw, tells the story of a killer wearing a cupid's mask as he murders the girls who tormented him years earlier.