By MICHAEL GINGOLD
The hero of the Roger Corman-produced ’80s franchise is getting ready to stalk anew.
Steven Kostanski, the filmmaker/creature and makeup effects artist behind PG: PSYCHO GOREMAN, THE VOID and others, is gearing up to direct a new DEATHSTALKER movie on Canadian locations this April. Daniel Bernhardt (pictured above), whose career stretches back to a Corman franchise of his own (the BLOODSPORT sequels) and who has more recently been seen in JOHN WICK, BARRY and EXTRACTION II, stars in the title role. According to the official synopsis, “the titular barbarian…finds himself cursed by a magical talisman that draws him into conflict with a malevolent wizard and a clan of monstrous assassins.”
Kostanski also scripted the film, which is being produced by Hangar 18 Media; Pasha Patriki, Avi Federgreen and Michael Paszt serve as producers, and the executive producers are Andrew Thomas Hunt, James Fler, Josh Viola and Peter Kuplowsky, alongside Slash and Rodrigo Gudiño of Berserkergang Films. It will feature copious creature effects, prosthetics and stop-motion animation from Kostanski’s newly minted Action Pants FX shop; pictured below is artist Josh Wasylink sculpting one of the critters. “The Deathstalker universe is such a fun sandbox to play in,” says Kostanski. “Every installment has played so fast and loose with its lore, which means that there’s no limit to my imagination when it comes to what I can pit Deathstalker against.”
“I am thrilled to be working with Steven,” Bernhardt says. “I love this genre, and what Steven has been making in his creature shop is mind-blowing. I am so excited to do battle as a Deathstalker who is more of a grizzled war veteran in this story.”
Ahead of the movie, Vault Comics will release a new DEATHSTALKER series, with the first issue arriving in stores in April. Written by Tim Seeley and illustrated by Jim Terry, it will bridge the stories of the original films and Kostanski’s project. A Kickstarter campaign to back Action Pants’ work on the film pre-launched March 1 and will be live March 8, offering memorabilia and exclusive merchandise including a new poster by Boris Vallejo, the iconic fantasy artist behind the previous DEATHSTALKERs’ poster art. The campaign will run through April 1. Raven Banner is handling international sales and Canadian distribution for the movie, and we’ll keep you posted on its release!
