Welcome Villain Films - the new studio dedicated to bringing exciting and edgy new horror films to genre-fiends - have today announced the title for their first original production: Malum. The upcoming feature is a reimagining of 2014's cult horror hit Last Shift, and will see original director Anthony DiBlasi and co-writer Scott Poiley returning to expand their vision of nightmare-inducing terror.
Described as a 'relentless, adrenaline-fueled, bloody cult nightmare', Malum stars Jessica Sula (Skins, Split) and will stick to similar story beats as Last Shift, following:
'...a rookie police officer who willingly takes the last shift at a newly decommissioned police station in an attempt to uncover the mysterious connection between her father’s death and a vicious cult. Throughout the night, she finds herself barraged by terrifying supernatural events while unveiling the truth behind her family’s twisted past.'
However, Dan Clifton - producer of Malum and Head of Production for Welcome Villain - assures us that the film is far from a shot-for-shot remake:
“From day one, the goal was always to produce something that paid homage to the original but broke new ground in a much bigger way, making it feel less like a remake and more like a reimagining...From a scale and scope perspective, this film is a much meaner, larger beast. From a horror perspective, it cranks the intensity up to eleven, which we think fans will love. The Welcome Villain team is eager for the world to see Malum, our first of many original productions.”
Malum features gnarly special effects from the team at RussellFX (Hellraiser, The Ritual, The Night House) - some of which you can take a first look at (along with some awesome BTS shots) in the upcoming spring issue of FANGORIA.
The police station-set terror (which was actually shot in an abandoned prison in downtown Louisville, Kentucky) will see a spring 2023 nationwide theatrical release from Welcome Villain, with Raven Banner handling international sales and presenting at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin.
Here's another first look at Malum which teases some demonic disturbances after hours in the slammer:
Welcome Villain might be new to the game but they're wasting no time making a big and bloody name for themselves, with their upcoming survival horror Hunt Her, Kill Her en route for a March 3 release, as well as an upcoming collaboration with Bobby Roe and Zack Andrews, creators of The Houses October Built franchise.
For more information on Welcome Villain Films visit their official website, and follow them on socials: Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. We can't wait to see what nightmarish hellscape awaits us in Malum, especially after DiBlasi promises us that 'Once audiences see the movie, they won’t soon forget the name Malum.''
