By MICHAEL GINGOLD
A biting pest from the Scottish Highlands turns deadly in the mini-creature feature.
A viral tweet has led to the development of a film about a plague of flesheating insects. A little while back, crime author/screenwriter Barry Hutchison, who writes the popular “DCI Logan” books under the pseudonym JD Kirk, pitched the idea of a movie about murderous “midgies” to his fans via Twitter and his blog. Midgies, or midges, are a species of tiny, blood-drinking fly common to Scotland whose bites leave people with red, itching sores. Hutchison had the idea of a pesticide intended to kill the bugs that instead transforms them into a flesheating menace. Using Photoshop and AI, he mocked up some concept stills (seen above and below) to go with his premise, and the enthusiastic response has led to the development of a feature film.
“What started as an inside joke on Twitter has grown legs, and wings to boot, in a matter of weeks,” Hutchison says. “We’ve gone from a title and a few concept images to a growing production plan, and we can’t wait to bring this film to life on a scale that has never been seen by the humble midge before.”
According to the official synopsis, “MIDGIES will follow Marcie and her teenage daughter Isla as they embark on a road trip through the Scottish Highlands. Their journey takes an unexpected turn when they find themselves thrust into a harrowing struggle for survival against a deadly swarm of mutated midgies.” Alessio Avezzano, who has directed a number of viral shorts and for the BBC’s ISLELANDERS, will helm the movie, with Mick Betancourt (whose many series credits include THE PURGE and DEADLY CLASS) on board as a producer.
“The explosive audience reaction has allowed us to dive headfirst into this project,” Avezzano says, “knowing that there’s a demand for a Scottish film that can join the ranks of the great monster movies. We hope to create a thrilling rollercoaster ride of a film that does Scotland proud and can hold its own in the international market.” “I was blown away by the script,” Betancourt adds. “It’s a masterful blend of terror and humor, echoing the kind of stories I love watching and producing.”
MIDGIES is intended to follow in the tonal footsteps of past British favorites like SHAUN OF THE DEAD and DOG SOLDIERS, as well as Korean films such as THE HOST and TRAIN TO BUSAN. Further details will be coming soon!
