Slipping on his producer’s hat once again, Eli Roth has reunited with The Last Exorcism’s co-producer Eric Newman for a new movie which will feature the playful adventures of Morris, a butterfly with high hopes and a sunny forest in which to dart about, learning helpful life lessons… All right, the pair has actually decided that their next production will be Psycho Killer. Shocked? Us neither.
Judging by the title, the only butterflies to possibly feature will be pinned to a board in a metaphorical depiction of man’s inherent inhumanity, since Psycho Killer will actually follow a nameless, masked slaughterer who leaves a trail of dead across America.
But then, during a random encounter on the Nebraska plains, he kills a highway patrolman. The only witness, who just so happens to be the officer’s wife and a fellow law keeper, decides to hunt the serial murderer down and deliver justice.
Andrew Kevin Walker, who himself has some experience with serial killers after writing 8MM and a little film called Seven, has cranked out the script, which apparently follows the murderer first, then diverges to follow both main characters until fate brings them back together again. And sitting his rear end down in the director’s chair for the first time is Gavin Polone, who most recently produced Zombieland, but also had a hand in 8MM.
"When people read the name Psycho Killer from the creators of Seven and Hostel, they know they are in for an intense ride, but one that will be smart and original," Roth gushed to Variety. There’s no word on casting yet, but the team is on the lookout for a known female actress who nevertheless isn’t yet a big name. Sorry, Scarlett J: You might have been up for every other recent role, but it looks like you’re out of luck on this one. Bet she’s not that worried…