YouTube announced a contest this week in collaboration with director Guillermo Del Toro in which entrants with YouTube channels can submit a short horror story to be judged by Del Toro, with the winner getting the opportunity to sign a deal with Del Toro’s Legendary Pictures.
The contest is called “You Tube Space House of Horrors: A Legendary Halloween“, and starting September 22, YouTube will open up YouTube Space locations in Los Angeles, London, New York and Tokyo to applicants to produce their horror film on one of YouTube Space’s custom sets. Variety has details on some of the sets YouTubers can utilize for the contest, all of which are inspired by Del Toro’s films.
And for lucky applicants who demonstrate a well-managed production schedule, a strong concept for their film and promising talent, Del Toro will be on hand to provide support and feedback during the filming and editing process.
Del Toro talked about his desire to find the next voice of horror filmmaking in a video (watch above) announcing the contest, along with promoting the current production of his film Crimson Peak to be released next year.
Entrants will have up until October 22 to produce their short films.
The Secret in Their Eyes, the Argentinian film that won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2010, is getting an English remake, and Julia Roberts has been tapped for the lead role. Deadline reports that she’ll star alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) under the direction and writing of Billy Ray (Breach, Shattered Glass, Captain Phillips). The original film is a detective mystery and romance in which a government agent finds himself reopening an unsolved case and rekindling his love affair for his superior officer.
George Clooney’s next film will be Hack Attack, in which he’ll take on media mogul Rupert Murdoch and the phone-tapping controversy that led to the shut down of Britain’s News of the World newspaper. The film will be an adaptation of journalist Nick Davies book Hack Attack: The Inside Story of How the Truth Caught Up with Rupert Murdoch. Clooney’s partner Grant Heslov is also attached to the project, and shooting is set to start next year for Sony Pictures.
In what is LITERALLY the best news you’ll hear today, Werner Herzog revealed he will make a cameo in an upcoming episode of Parks and Recreation. The legendary German director gave a few details of his cameo, saying he’ll be playing an old man who sells his decrepit old house (presumably to either Ben and Leslie or Andy and April) so he can be closer to Disney World. And just like he had never heard of The Killers before working with them, he’s also never seen Parks and Rec.
Also making news:
- Justin Lin, director of several Fast & Furious installments, is being eyed to direct several episodes of the second season of True Detective.
- PBS will air an hour long tribute to Robin Williams
- A new adaptation of the critically acclaimed video game Shadow of the Colossus is set to be directed by Andres Muschietti (Mama) and a script by Seth Lochhead (Hanna).
- David Cronenberg’s Maps to the Stars, purportedly an Oscar contender for Cannes-winning Lead Actress Julianne Moore, has been pushed to an early 2015 release.