Two years ago, Chad Feehan, writer / director of Wake and producer of All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, picked up the rights to an acclaimed teen horror novel. One slight problem: it was called Twilight. Nothing to do with Stephanie Meyer, this one's by William Gay, and is starting to gain traction as a movie. Feehan himself looks set to direct what's now monickered **Beyond the Pale.
Twi... sorry, Beyond the Pale (Wayne Hussey is sitting by the phone waiting to hear from the soundtrack producer*) is a Southern Gothic tale of a brother and sister who uncover nefarious goings on at their local funeral parlour, try to blackmail the undertaker, and pay for their temerity by getting a terminator-like ex-con set on them. What ensues is a tense, protracted chase through 1950s Tennessee.
Stephen King loved it, although judging by the number of quotes he sends out for book jackets, Stephen King loves everything. Gay sees it as a modern-day Hansel and Gretal, which, along with the period setting (if its kept) might make for an interesting fairytale vibe.
Feehan's motel psycho-thriller Wake, starring Josh Stewart and Jamie-Lynn Sigler has just been picked up for online distribution by IFC (have a look at the trailer here). Is Beyond the Pale headed for bigger things? More news as we get it.
*Maybe.