If you’re looking to revisit a classic horror franchise, then Entertainment Weekly has just broken news which might be of interest to you. According to the site, Well Go USA Entertainment has officially acquired North American rights to Phantasm, the horror franchise from Don Cosacarelli. The acquisition also includes Phantasm V: Ravager, the franchise’s fourth sequel which was recently completed.
SVP of Well Go USA Entertainment released a statement about the acquisition, saying, “The Phantasm films are iconic, and Well Go is ecstatic to have them.” He went on to say, “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. 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.”
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The company has already announced they’ll be running theatrical releases for both films. Phantasm V: Ravager, the franchise’s final film, will hit theaters and digital HD on October 7th. As for Phantasm, the original film will be remaster and rereleased as Phantasm: Remaster when it reaches theaters on September 24th as part of Art House Theater Day. Other films of the Phantasm franchise will be released as Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead and Phantasm IV: Oblivion will also be pushed to cable/digital platforms on October 7th. And, while details weren’t explicitly given for a Phantasm II remaster, EW has said the sequel will be available as well.
Coscarelli spoke about the upcoming Phantasm installment, calling it a “swan song.” The movie will reunite Michael Baldwin with other returning cast, and Coscarelli promises that, “There’s some new iterations of those brain-shucking spheres and a lot of good stuff that the fans will enjoy. It ties up a lot of the storylines and answers some questions that fans have had.”
