Dubbed “Pirate Clark,” the monstrous threat in Kane Parsons’ Backrooms is sure to be one of the most memorable new movie monsters on screen this year, perhaps only behind Freaky Nikki from Obsession. But was that a computer generated creation? An animatronic?

Nope. Pirate Clark, which is of course the monstrous Backrooms-generated “Still Life” version of Chiwetel Ejiofor’s character Clark, was played by a real actor in Backrooms!

It was former basketball player Robert Bobroczkyi who played the impossibly tall Pirate Clark in Backrooms, and the effect was pulled off with little more than a costume and a mask.

As Luiz H.C. noted in an article here on Bloody Disgusting last month, “Though there was some obvious CGI involved in making the character’s peg-leg and nightmarish face more believable, Robert Bobroczkyi’s monstrous performance and his natural frame helped to make that final chase sequence a clear highlight among this year’s genre offerings.”

The Romanian–Hungarian actor stands a towering 7-foot, 7″ tall, and if Pirate Clark reminded you of the Offspring from Alien Romulus, that’s because Bobroczkyi played both roles!

At this time, Alien Romulus and Backrooms are the only two movies on Bobroczkyi’s resume, but like Javier Botet before him, we can be pretty sure he’ll be playing unique horror movie characters for many years to come. You just never know where he might pop up next…

Backrooms is now available on a Digital with the Blu-ray up for pre-order now.

The post ‘Backrooms’ – Behind the Scenes Photos Reveal the ‘Alien Romulus’ Actor Who Played Pirate Clark appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Sasquatch Sunset duo Zellner Brothers are swapping cryptids for aliens in alien invasion comedy Alpha Gang, and the first image introduces its alien invaders.

Alpha Gang will make its premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, announced as part of this year’s Special Presentations program.

The comedy follows “a group of alien invaders sent to conquer Earth. Disguised in human form as a 1950s leather-clad biker gang, they are ruthless in their mission… until they succumb to the most toxic and contagious human condition of all: emotion.”

Cate Blanchett (Tár, The Gift), Léa Seydoux (Crimes of the Future), Dave Bautista (Knock at the Cabin), Riley Keough (The Lodge), Lily-Rose Depp (Nosferatu), and Chris Pine (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) star.

Blanchett leads the cast; the two-time Oscar winner plays the Alpha Gang’s indomitable leader. Seydoux, Bautista, Depp, and Keough will play the gang members.

The alien invasion comedy is said to take place in a heightened reality, lensed by cinematographer Mike Gioulakis (Sasquatch Sunset, Us, It Follows). Based on the plot description and the Zellner Brothers’ flatulence-heavy Sasquatch Sunset, which starred an unrecognizable Riley Keough, it feels safe to expect an offbeat comedy ahead.

The Zellners produce for ZBi, along with Blanchett and Coco Francini for Dirty Films, Keough and Gina Gammell for Felix Culpa, Ryan Zacarias for Fat City, Andrea Bucko for Sugar Rush Pictures, Mary Aloe for Aloe Entertainment, and Joshua Harris for Peachtree Media Partners.

“Each year, we strive to curate a selection of films that feels most relevant to the moment with the power to spark a rich dialogue with our public audience, and these Special Presentations titles are true reflections of that,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “From debut directors to the most anticipated sophomore films of the year to vanguard voices, this group of films showcase the authenticity, the unexpected, and the ambition of cinema now. They are sure to be among the Festival’s most talked-about titles, captivating audiences and generating buzz long after the credits roll. We’re delighted to share these original works with TIFF audiences in September.”

TIFF launches its 51st edition this September 10-20. 

Stay tuned for more as it arrives.

The post ‘Alpha Gang’ First Image Introduces Alien Invaders in New Comedy from ‘Sasquatch Sunset’ Duo appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Last year, 20th Century Studios emerged victorious in a heated bid for the python survival thriller Crush. Today brings new developments on the project, as Deadline reports that it’s found its director in Julius Avery (The Pope’s Exorcist, Overlord).

The survival thriller is said to follow “a woman hiking alone in the Everglades who wakes to find herself trapped in the crushing coils of a massive python, fighting to stay alive as every breath brings her closer to death.” It’s said to be inspired by true events and told primarily in real time.

It was the snake-themed spec, penned by current Temple Hill executive John Fischer, that inspired a massive bidding war. He posted the script on the Black List under the pseudonym J.W. Archer, which led to quick outreach from reps eager to sign him.

Fischer took it to his Temple Hill bosses. “Needless to say, it was quite a surprise when John walked into our office and told us he had written a script on the weekends in Spain while working on one of our movies,“ Bowen and Godfrey said in a statement previously. “We went from being terrified about how to come up with nice things to say when he asked us to read it to elated that it was a thrill ride of a movie that we wanted to produce. We can’t wait to abuse him with pages and pages of notes as we move this into production.”

Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey will produce for Temple Hill, with Scott Glassgold’s 12:01 Films also attached to produce. Glassgold is on a hot streak in horror; he’s currently attached to produce Siren Head and Cartoon Cat to Warner Bros. and Sony, respectively, and Drew Hancock’s Seasons for Amazon MGM Studios. 

Avery was previously set to helm alien abduction horror movie They Found Us for Temple Hill.

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There’s no slowing down Alice Maio Mackay. The filmmaker behind So Vam, Bad Girl Boogey, and this year’s The Serpent’s Skin is already back with sci-fi horror Our Effed Up World.

Starring Annapurna Sriram (Fucktoys), Sara Thompson (“One of Us is Lying”) and Jess McLeod (It’s a Wonderful Knife) and produced by Dark Star Pictures, the film will receive its International Premiere at Fantasia Film Festival on July 18, 2026.

The first teaser has arrived ahead of its fest screening, which sees a group of friends contend with terror from outer space when it crash lands nearby.

The synopsis reads: “Sheri thought her biggest problem in life was dealing with the recent loss of her beloved grandma. But when a mysterious entity crash lands in the woods, only she and her group of shitkicker friends are what stands in the way of an insatiable, intergalactic hunger.” 

Scott Major, Brandon Flynn, Jordan Dulieu, JackHaven, Leela Varghese, Tommy Dorfman, and Chris Gun also star.

I Saw the TV Glow and Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun produces.

Mackay directs from a script co-written with Ben Pahl Robinson.

Mackay shares of her latest, “Our Effed Up World is my latest no budget queer film. I wanted to delve into a completely new sub-genre—sci-fi. But still through my signature lens and blend of campiness and melodrama. This project allowed me to take a step back from all the horrors that are happening around us and to really reflect on what makes us who we are and what we need to do to hang on to what is important in our lives. Whilst also being a rumination on grief and how we cope with living in an ‘effed” up world.’”

The 30th edition of Fantasia begins today; stay tuned for more from our coverage of the fest.

The post An Alien Threat Crash Lands Alice Maio Mackay’s Sci-fi Horror ‘Our Effed Up World’ Teaser appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.