Neil Marshall is returning to the world of horror. The filmmaker behindThe DescentandHellboyis set to helmThe Lair. Highland Film Group has boarded the project, which is being sold to potential buyers at this year’s virtual American Film Market (AFM). This one appears to be coming together in a hurry too.
According to multiple reports,Neil Marshallwill write, produce and directThe Lair, which is described as an action/horror thriller. Casting is currently underway, though no specific stars have been named as of yet. Filming is expected to begin in spring of next year. A logline for the movie has also been revealed, which reads as follows.
“The Lair centers on Royal Air Force pilot Lt. Kate Sinclair who is on her final flight mission when her jet is shot down over one of the most dangerous rebel strongholds of Afghanistan. She finds refuge in an abandoned underground bunker where deadly man-made biological weapons, half human, half alien and hungry for human flesh, are awakened. Sinclair barely escapes but unknowingly, tracks the creatures known as Ravagers back to aUS army base.”
Neil Marshall made his feature debut with 2002’sDog Soldiersbefore directing his 2005 breakthroughThe Descent. Aside from being a financial hit, the movie was met with widespread acclaim. Most recently, Marshall completed work onThe Reckoning. The filmmaker said the following about his new movie in a statement.
“If The Reckoning was a gothic drama in testament to the power and resilience of women, then The Lair is my true return to full blooded horror and intense genre action in the style of Dog Soldiers, The Descent and Doomsday. I’m making something scary as hell, pulse pounding and great fun. This is a crowd pleaser. An adrenaline pumping roller-coaster ride. Spectacular and loud; inspired by classic genre movies like Aliens, Predator and The Thing and their incredible use ofpractical creature FX. Featuring a new breed of screen terror, The Lair will be a snarling, ravenous beast of a movie. I’m going to get my hands bloody making this one!”
Aside fromThe Reckoning, Neil Marshall most recently directedlast year’s ill-fated Hellboy reboot, which was a critical and commercial bomb. The comic book movie earned just $44 million at the box office. As a result,The Laircould be viewed as a comeback for Marshall. As a producer, Marshall was also behind Netflix’sLost In Space. It seems the high-profile nature ofHellboy’s less-than-ideal result hasn’t hampered the director’s career.
Neil Marshall’s company Scarlett Productions is producing the movie. There is no word yet on where production is expected to take place. That may be tricky given ongoing health and safety concerns around the globe. Hollywood has encountered numerous struggles in getting productions back up and running following the shutdown in March. Highland Film Group is set to handle worldwide sales ofThe Lairduring AFM, which will kick off next week. This news was previously reported byDeadline.
