Five genre directors — Joe Dante (Gremlins, Innerspace), Mick Garris (The Stand), Alejandro Brugués (Juan of the Dead) and Ryuhei Kitamura (Versus, The Midnight Meat Train) — are joining forces for a new horror anthology film set at a haunted theatre, appropriately titled Nightmare Cinema.
Mickey Rourke stars in the film’s Twilight Zone-esque frame story, as a mysterious character who operates the eerie theatre’s projector. Here’s the film’s official synopsis:
A series of down-on-their-luck individuals enter the decrepit and spine-chilling Rialto theatre, only to have their deepest and darkest fears brought to life on the silver screen by The Projectionist — a mysterious, ghostly figure who holds the nightmarish futures of all who attend his screenings. By the time our patrons realise the truth, escape is no longer an option. For once the ticket is torn, their fate is sealed at Nightmare Cinema.
Nightmare Cinema is still in the post-production phase, but will have a presence at this weekend’s Son of Monsterpalooza convention in Southern California, where all of the directors (save Kitamura) will gather to show excerpts and discuss the film. There’s no release date set yet, but the movie’s press release notes that plans are already afoot to create a TV series after the film, inspired by horror anthology shows such as Tales From the Crypt.