PopHorror Let's Get Scared
We love Vanessa Ionta Wright here at PopHorror. We’ve interviewed her twice on her role as co-director/co-founder of the Women in Horror Month Film Festival and announced when that fest became the Renegade Film Festival. She’s also an award-winning filmmaker, and we’ve covered and even reviewed her shorts and films (Be A Hero 2018, Stephen King’s Rainy Season 2017, I Baked Him A Cake 2017, The Badge, The Gun & The Hangman’s Noose 2019, Mama’s Boy 2018). She’s a powerhouse in the indie horror industry and is, so far, kicking ass in all regards!
Now, we’ve just gotten word that she has a new project coming up. With some help from the horror community, Vanessa Ionta Wright hopes to direct another one of Stephen King’s Dollar Babies… this time, she’s looking at adapting the short story, “Into The Deathroom,” into a short called Deathroom. Read on for more info!
From the press release:
Capture. Torture. Kill. Fans of Stephen King fiction and independent films are invited to support the Deathroom crowdfunding campaign launching today. The campaign’s goal is $70,000 by July 3, 2022. In exchange for donor support, the filmmakers are offering special, one-of-kind perks, ranging from a script copy and poster to being in the film and the title of executive producer.
Based on Stephen King’s “In the Deathroom,” a story about a deadly battle of wits between a captured New York Times photographer and a sadistic military commander, Deathroom is written by screenwriter Edward Santiago (The Badge, The Gun and The Hangman’s Noose, Knights of the Valiant Heart) and will be directed by award-winning filmmaker and Renegade Film Fest founder Vanessa Ionta Wright (Rainy Season, I Baked Him a Cake).
“We have an outstanding cast and crew attached to the film, and now all we need is you.” said Wright. “By donating to this film, you will help a very talented group of artists bring to life one of the great stories by the Master of Horror.”
The screenplay’s inspiration was made available through Stephen King’s Dollar Baby program, in which filmmakers can purchase the nonexclusive rights to a title not under contract for $1. While they can adapt and produce it, they can’t either distribute it or make a profit from it. Additionally, per the agreement, King will view the final product.
Deathroom stars Jenna Kanell (Terrifier, Wanda Vision, Renfield) as Fletcher. The crew includes director of photography Mark Simon (Nightmare on Elm Street 3, One Missed Call) and special makeup FX artist “Monster” Midian Crosby (The Haunting of Hill House, Lovecraft Country). “The thing we are most proud of,” says Wright, “is the diversity and visibility surrounding this film.”
One hundred percent of Above the Line are women, BIPOC and members of the LBGTQ community, plus 60 percent of the cast are Latina/o.
