Lena Heady of "Game of Thrones" Joins Cast of Clive Barker's "Jacqueline Ess"

Courtesy Getty Images/Jason Merritt

"Game of Thrones" actress Lena Heady will be briefly hanging up her crown and stepping into the world of horror in the upcoming film "Jacqueline Ess." The story is based off of a short story by master of the macabre, Clive Barker. According to Variety, Raven Banner Entertainment and Seraphim Films are producing the feature, which will be going into production later this year after being sold at the Cannes Film Festival.

In addition to co-writing the script with Christian Francis, Jovanka Vuckovic is on board to direct, which will be her first time directing a feature length film. She will also serve as co-producer along with the films star, Lena Heady. Clive Barker and Seraphim's Mark Miller and Ben Meares will serve as executive producers.

"Jacqueline Ess" originally appeared in horror anthology, Books of Blood Volume 2, and is about "a beautiful woman with the ability to horrifically change people’s body shapes simply with her mind. Her ability gives her the power to grant men the ultimate sexual experience, albeit one that always proves fatal. It’s a story of sex, power, and the extremes that await us at the limits of desire."

Clive Barker expressed his excitement on the development earlier by saying “Lena Headey is a marvelous performer with an incredible presence,[...] As far as I’m concerned, there is no better choice of actress for the role of Jacqueline. Her beauty and authority will carry the day.”

-Nowal Massari

New Release Date and Cast Members for 'Goosebumps' Film

Simons and Lund, courtesy IMDB.com

According to The Wrap, the "Goosebumps" movie has just added Timothy Simons ("Veep") and Amanda Lund ("Ghost Ghirls") to the cast. The duo will be joining Jack Black in a spin on the R.L. Stine series as a pair of bumbling police officers, whose ineptitude reaches an all time high when their town is overtaken by storybook monsters come to life.

The movie follows teenaged Zach Cooper and his family as they move to the small town of Greendale, Maryland. His neighbor turns out to be none other then author R.L. Stine. Things quickly turn spooky when the demonic dummy, Slappy, unleashes the villains from the "Goosebumps" books into the real world! Zach, Stine's niece Hannah and the man behind the pen himself have to team up and get the baddies back in their books before they completely take over.

Directed by Rob Letterman, the film will now be released on August 7, 2015. Filming is currently underway in Georgia and Los Angeles.

-Nowal Massari

DC Comics' "DMZ" Heading to the Small Screen

Warner Bros TV has recently sealed a deal with Syfy to bring DC Comics' "DMZ" to television. The adaptation, which is currently in development with Syfy, will be executive produced by David Heyman ("Gravity") and Andre & Maria Jacquemetton ("Mad Men"), with the Jacquemettons penning the series as well.

According to Deadline, "'DMZ' is set in the near future and centers on a young man trapped in Manhattan, which has been turned into a demilitarized zone (DMZ) after a second American civil war." Launched by DC Entertainment's Vertigo imprint in 2005, the comic book was created by Riccardo Burchielli and Brian Wood, and ended after 72 issues in 2012.

The project comes from Warner Horizon, Warner Bros. TV's cable division, in conjunction with Heyday Films and Slim Chance Productions.

-Nowal Massari

Neil Marshall to Direct 'Constantine' Pilot

Image courtesy Digital Spy

The live action adaptation of DC Comic's "Constantine" has finally found the man to direct the pilot. Deadline reports that Neil Marshall, known for "Doomsday" and "The Descent," will be taking the helm of NBC's upcoming project. Marshall most recently directed the opening sequence and third episode for Michael Bay's pirate drama "Black Sails" on Starz, and is set to direct an episode of the new season of "Game of Thrones."

For those unfamiliar with the title, "Constantine" centers on John Constantine, an enigmatic and irreverent con man-turned-reluctant supernatural detective who is thrust into the role of defending us against dark forces from beyond. The pilot will be written by Daniel Cerone, who penned the original story with David S. Goyer.

Currently there is no word on when the show will air, but we will keep you posted!

-Nowal Massari

Raven Banner to Bring Clive Barker's 'Jacqueline Ess' to the Big Screen

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Canada's Raven Banner Entertainment has just announced that they have optioned "Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament," a short story from master of the macabre, Clive Barker.

The story, originally appearing in horror anthology, Books of Blood Volume 2, is about "a beautiful woman with the ability to horrifically change people’s body shapes simply with her mind. Her ability gives her the power to grant men the ultimate sexual experience, albeit one that always proves fatal. It’s a story of sex, power, and the extremes that await us at the limits of desire."

Managing partner of Raven Banner, Andrew Hunt, released a statement on Wednesday stating, "All of us at Raven Banner have been huge fans of Clive’s for years[...]And I personally have always loved the story of Jacqueline Ess. It has all the qualities one wants in a modern horror film, so I’m excited to see it finally being brought to life on film."

Barker's own Seraphim Films will be executive producing the project, with Seraphim VP Mark Miller sharing his excitement and saying “We love what Raven Banner is doing for horror,[...]We are excited to be collaborating with them.”

The deal was negotiated by Noor Ahmed of Reder & Feig LLP on behalf of Seraphim and Raven Banner associates Andrew Hunt, James Fler and Michael Paszt. The film has a projected budget of $3 million, and while there is currently no word on who will be penning the script, it is in development. The movie will be shopped in Berlin at the European Film Market, with Raven Banner tentatively planning production to begin in the fall of 2014.

-Nowal Massari