Way back in 2005, writer and director Greg Mclean‘s Aussie horror flick Wolf Creek soundly divided critics and audiences. While some considered it a welcome return to classic genre conventions, others saw its brutal depiction of violence and murder in the Australian Outback as anything but entertaining. Despite the misgivings of those horror haters, the film earned seven Australian Film Institute awards, including Best Director.
ScreenDaily reports Mclean, who followed the film with the man-eating alligator flick Rogue, has received the go ahead from Screen Australia to start production on Wolf Creek 2. Produced by Emu Creek Pictures and 403 Productions, the horror sequel is slated to begin shooting in February, with John Jarrat on board to reprise his role as the crazed Aussie serial killer Mick Taylor.
“We’re keeping story details top secret for now, but it is safe to say: scarier, bigger, badder,” says producer Matt Hearn. A brief synopsis reads:
The outback once more becomes a place of mind-bending horror, action and suspense as another unwitting tourist becomes the prey for crazed, serial-killing pig-shooter Mick Taylor.
Bigger and badder isn’t necessarily a good thing for a sequel to a film that was praised (and condemned) for its simplistic realism. If things get too over-the-top, Wolf Creek 2 will come across as an overproduced parody of its predecessor.
And in other Australian horror news, funding has been found for Jungle, Aussie brothers Peter and Michael Spierig‘s follow-up to Undead and Daybreakers. The film will be produced by Pictures in Paradise, See-Saw Films, and Locomotion Pictures. A synopsis:
What begins as a dream adventure for three backpackers and their enigmatic guide, quickly becomes a struggle for survival as they unravel in the wilderness. A tale of survival, human fortitude and social manipulation, based on the true story of what happened to Yossi Ghinsberg.
With the horror news, ScreenDaily also announced Storm Surfers 3D, a documentary by Chris Nelius and Justin McMillan. Already in production, the film will follow big-wave surfers Ross Clarke-Jones and Tom Carroll as they work with surf forecaster Ben Matson to track massive weather systems and surf some of the biggest waves on the planet. All in 3D, of course.
No news on release dates for any of the above, although ThePlaylist speculates that we’ll probably see Wolf Creek 2 get released by early 2013.
Which of these projects has you most excited?