Stand down, Rob Zombie — your reign of terror over all horror movies set within deranged carnival environments is getting some competition. Jennifer Chambers Lynch, whose genre chops include episodes of The Walking Dead and Teen Wolf, has been tapped to helm a Halloween-themed thriller called Hellfest.
Image: AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau
Chambers Lynch, who happens to be the daughter of David Lynch, is teaming with The Walking Dead producer Gale Anne Hurd for the film, which Deadline describes as follows:
Hellfest involves a Halloween night of fun turns deadly at a horror theme park when a costumed killer begins slaying unsuspecting patrons who believe that it’s all part of the show. Production will begin this winter at an undisclosed theme park.
All Rob Zombie joking aside (though the guy sure does love his clowns), amusement parks — be they abandoned, haunted, zombie-plagued, overrun with evil robots or filled with ill-maintained rollercoasters — have long been a horror-movie staple. Hellfest looks like it will continue this tradition, taking inspiration from both the costumed killers of classic slashers, and the current craze for Halloween-themed experiences like Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. As long as it’s not a found-footage joint — and with a talent like Chambers Lynch behind the camera, hopefully that’s not a factor — there’s some major spooky potential here.