There’s a reason I love the horror genre so much, and it’s not because of the quality of the films. In one of the most unlikely combinations of people to ever collaborate on a project, Clancy Brown, AKA Kurgan from Highlander, has officially joined the cast of Nothing to Fear, a horror thriller being produced by none other than former Guns N’ Roses guitarist, Slash. Along with the Steve Niles-directed Wake the Dead, the movie is one of the first from his company Slasher Films.

Directed by creature and storyboard artist Anthony Leonardi III, Nothing to Fear also stars Anne Heche (Rampart, the upcoming That’s What She Said), James Tupper (Mr. Popper’s Penguins) and another new cast member, Ethan Peck (In Time). The plot focuses on a family trying to start a new life in a small Kansas town, only to find out that their new home is one of seven gateways to hell. Peck plays a local man with a past, while Brown will portray a “charismatic but emotionally conflicted man of the cloth.” The role should be a cinch for Brown, who wowed me as Depression-era preacher Brother Justin Crowe in the underrated HBO series Carnivale.

Producing with Slash are Rob Eric of Scout Productions and Michael Williams. According to Eric, Brown, a seasoned character actor known for playing weirdos and villains, and the young Peck are welcome additions to a project already ripe with interesting possibilities.

“He’s in one of the movies we remember as kids that make us do what we do now,” said Eric, referring to Brown’s memorable turn, to the genre fanboy crowd at least, as the Kurgan in 1986′s action fantasy Highlander. “He’s evil to the point that he believes he is doing good.”

Regarding Peck, Eric said, “It’s a very hard thing to go up against an actor who is so strong and embodies his role as Clancy does but Ethan is that man. Ethan will have really intense scenes with him.” [THR]

As we reported last month, Nothing to Fear was recently acquired by Anchor Bay, which has yet to set a release date for the film.

Now that Brown is on board, does it make you more interested in Nothing to Fear?