*Updated with the official press release.* Those who dared to face the Tall Man have played a good game, but that game is not quite finished. Well Go USA Entertainment has acquired North American distribution rights to the remastered first entry and the anticipated last movie in the Phantasm franchise, and they will release both films in theaters this fall.
Press Release: Dallas, TX (July 28, 2016) – Well Go USA Entertainment announced its acquisition of North American rights for Don Coscarelli’s legendary Phantasm series, including an all-new 4K restoration of the original 1979 cult classic Phantasm: Remastered, never-before-seen HD restorations of 1994’s Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead and 1998’s Phantasm IV: Oblivion, and the long-anticipated debut of the fifth and final film in the series, 2016’s Phantasm: Ravager.
On October 7th, for the first time ever, the Phantasm series will be available in remastered, high-definition versions across all cable and digital platforms.
A Blu-ray and DVD Collector’s Edition Set of the Phantasm series will follow later this year, along with individual Blu-rays and DVDs of Phantasm: Remastered and Phantasm: Ravager, all of which will be packed with special bonus features.
Phantasm: Remastered and Phantasm: Ravager will hit theaters as well. Phantasm: Remastered will screen across the county as part of the inaugural Art House Theater Day on September 24, 2016, and Phantasm: Ravager will be released in select theaters on October 7th, day and date with its digital HD release. In addition, fans across the country will have the ability to bring both films to their hometowns using Tugg, an innovative platform that empowers individuals and groups to host screenings in their local theaters and community venues.
Phantasm: Remastered came into being when filmmaker J.J. Abrams, a fan of the original, wanted to screen the film for his team at Bad Robot Productions- only to find the available prints in terrible shape. Working on the premises of Bad Robot with their expert staff, director Don Coscarelli was invited by J.J. to supervise a meticulous 4K digital remaster using their state-of-the-art tools. This included a brand-new 5.1 audio mix using the original stems, ensuring Phantasm will forever be available to scare the hell out of generations to come with perfect picture and sound.
Phantasm: Ravager is an all-new film that brings one of cinema’s longest-running franchises (36 years!) without a reboot to a close, with Mike (A. Michael Baldwin) and Reggie (Reggie Banister) teaming up to confront the dimension-hopping Tall Man (Angus Scrimm, in his final role) once and for all.
“The Phantasm films are iconic, and Well Go is ecstatic to have them. We get to bring a classic to a whole new audience with Phantasm: Remastered, and with Phantasm: Ravager we get to bring the die-hard fans - of which I am one - the closure they’ve been waiting for,” said Dylan Marchetti, SVP of Well Go USA Entertainment. “This is the kind of deal that every distributor dreams of doing, and when you get to do it with a true independent like Don, well, that’s just the extra cherry on the sundae.”
"I’m thrilled to be working with Well Go USA and their talented and dedicated team,” said Phantasm creator Don Coscarelli. “I am excited by their innovative new ideas and intense drive to bring the Phantasm franchise to a new generation of fans."
Phantasm: Remastered, Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead, and Phantasm IV: Oblivion were written and directed by Don Coscarelli. Phantasm: Ravager was written by Coscarelli and David Hartman, executive produced by Brad Baruh, and directed by Hartman. All films star Angus Scrimm, Reggie Bannister, and A. Michael Baldwin.
ABOUT WELL GO USA ENTERTAINMENT
Well Go USA Entertainment (www.wellgousa.com) is a theatrical and home entertainment distribution label that specializes in bringing top content, including the best in action, genre and independent films from the US and around the world, to North America, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. As a leader in independent film distribution, Well Go's titles can be seen across a variety of platforms, including theatrical, digital, subscription and cable VOD, packaged media and broadcast television. Well Go USA Entertainment’s corporate headquarters is in Dallas, Texas, with offices in New York, Taiwan, and China.Recent Well Go USA Entertainment releases include Na Hong-jin’s The Wailing, Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s The Assassin, Wilson Yip’s Ip Man 3, Yeon Sang-ho’s Train to Busan, and Felix Thompson’s King Jack.
ABOUT ART HOUSE THEATER DAY
Art House Theater Day is the first ever national celebration of independent film and its exhibitors. Over 175 art house theaters across North America will participate by screening exclusive programs (including PHANTASM), hosting parties and special guests, offering giveaways and more. Like Record Store Day, Free Comic Book Day, and Independent Bookstore Day, Art House Theater Day is a chance for fans to gather in support of the thing they love - sharing the cinematic experience with great films in their favorite spaces.ABOUT TUGG, INC.
Tugg, Inc. (“Tugg”) is a platform that enables individuals, content owners, and brands to turn their passion for movies into action by choosing the films that play in their local theaters and community venues. These individually curated events showcase Tugg’s growing library of over 1,800 studio and independent films. Users choose the film, date, time, and location for their screening, and then spread the word to their immediate and online community. For additional information visit http://www.tugg.com.
Previously: EW reports that Phantasm: Remastered—the 4K restoration spearheaded by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions and writer/director Don Coscarelli—will play in theaters on Saturday, September 24th for the first-ever Art House Theater Day.
Phantasm: Ravager, meanwhile, will hit theaters and Digital HD on Friday, October 7th. The fifth and final film in Coscarelli's frightening franchise was directed by David Hartman, who co-wrote the script with Coscarelli. Ravager stars ice-cream-man-turned-hunter-of-evil Reggie (Reggie Bannister) and will also see the return of cast members Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Kat Lester, and the late, great Angus Scrimm, who passed away early this year at the age of 89. Scrimm of course plays the Tall Man in Ravager, bringing his powerful presence to the screen one last time.
Phantasm: Remastered and HD restorations of Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead and Phantasm IV: Oblivion will also be released on cable and digital platforms on October 7th, according to EW. (Phantasm II was previously released on a Collector's Edition Blu-ray by Scream Factory).
Additionally, Phantasm: Remastered and Phantasm: Ravager are both slated for a Blu-ray and DVD release later this year, and EW reports that they will also be included in a new collector's edition set.
EW shared two stills from Phantasm: Remastered (see below, via Silver Sphere Corporation). As a refresher (unless you've made watching it a part of your daily routine as a diehard fan), we also have the previously revealed Phantasm: Ravager teaser trailer, and be sure to stay tuned to Daily Dead for more details on both releases. In the meantime, are you excited for the bladed ball to fly back into theaters?
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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