Exclusive: A24 in Talks for 'Near Dark' Rights and Plans to Team With Kathryn Bigelow on Possible Series

Happy Friday, folks!

Last night, I saw Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck, and for the life of me, I have no idea how that movie won the coveted People’s Choice Award at TIFF last year — over eventual Best Picture winner Anora, no less.

As soon as the movie began with Act Three, I knew we were going to be in trouble. Tom Hiddleston is in maybe 30 minutes of this movie, and he has maybe a dozen lines, as he spends the rest of his screentime dancing. Jacob Tremblay is in five minutes of the movie, which is based on a novella by Stephen King, though it’s not a horror movie.

The clear standouts are Mark Hamill and Matthew Lillard, for whom I’ve always harbored a soft spot, while Benjamin Pasak is also quite good as young Chuck. But the performances aren’t the problem here, it’s the writing. I’m just not a big Flanagan guy. I liked Hush and Gerald’s Game, and that’s about it.

Boring and rather pointless, The Life of Chuck was decidedly not for me, though I appreciated how it was dedicated to fallen film critic Scott Wampler, a King devotee.

When I got home, I wanted to watch something a little lighter, so I threw on Jillian Bell’s directorial debut, Summer of 69. The high school comedy was a pleasant surprise, as the film’s young lead, Sam Morelos (That ‘90s Show), proved to be a winning presence — the kind of underdog you want to root for — while Chloe Fineman (SNL) proved that she should be landing more roles in feature comedies. This one is streaming on Hulu, so check it out for a fun throwback to the kinds of sex comedies we grew up on (if you’re my age, 41).

This evening, I’m off to see Final Destination: Bloodlines, which I’ve heard is a blast and is expected to open to around $40 million this weekend. I’m curious how it plays on premium large-format screens and whether you’ll start to see more horror movies take up those screens, as opposed to mega-budget comic book movies and other “event” films.

Tonight, on the eve of what would’ve been Bill Paxton’s 70th birthday, I’ve got a hot scoop about a possible Near Dark series in the works at A24. Plus, an update on those Texas Chainsaw Massacre rights and the hot horror director who is trying to get them.

There are also items about TK, TK, TK, and the teaser trailer for Brad Ingelsby’s new HBO crime series Task starring Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey.

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