In 2016, the long-dormant Phantasm franchise received a surprise installment in the form of Phantasm: Ravager. The film began as a love letter from a fan to the mythology, and once original writer/director Don Coscarelli got wind of it, he pulled some strings to turn the tribute into a feature film. A recent Blu-ray set, that compiles all five Phantasm films, included a 120-page book that went behind the scenes of the films. One quote from Coscarelli implied another installment was in the works, so Bloody Disgusting went to the source to get an update on the franchise’s status.
UP NEXT: Phantasm Reportedly Getting 4K Restoration From J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot
Videos by PopCulture.com
When speaking with Bloody Disgusting, Coscarelli recalled the fifth film’s reception. “I remember being at the premiere last year of Phantasm: Ravager at Fantastic Fest,” Coscarelli recalled, “I was sitting by director David Hartman and as Ravager ended, the audience burst into applause. For both of us it was a huge relief, we had finally finished one of the most ambitious micro-budget movies ever made and our core fan base responded the way we hoped.”
He continued, “It was a very long path, full of difficulty and hardship and we had suffered some losses. Our Phantasm icon and good friend Angus Scrimm had passed just as post-production ended. But we had successfully finished what we considered to be the final chapter of this iteration of Phantasm… And then Dave and I went up onstage with the cast and did a Q & A with Tim League and I think the first question was, ‘When’s part 6 coming out?’ We heard this question again and again at subsequent screenings.”
Coscarelli then joked about how badly fans want more Phantasm. “God love ’em, but Phantasm fans are insatiable,” he quipped. “Obviously, the loss of Angus makes the prospect of another sequel challenging. So I guess the short answer is that we aren’t currently planning another sequel at this time. That being said, we always do listen closely to what our long time fans say.”
The filmmaker concluded, “In any case, next week, like a lot of people, I’m going to break open a copy of the new Phantasm collection box set and watch all the movies in a row. Really looking forward to that!”
From the sound of things, Coscarelli is in no rush to make another film, but spoke vaguely enough as to not completely rule it out.
With the lukewarm reception of Ravager and the passing of Angus Scrimm, it’s tough to judge what direction the franchise could possibly go.
Considering how much filmmaker J.J. Abrams loves the franchise (Captain Phasma was named after the film), maybe he’d be the right person to tap to continue the mythology.
MORE NEWS:
- Phantasm: Ravager Trailer Brings Back The Tall Man
- Phantasm: Remastered & Phantasm: Ravager Get Release Dates
- Phantasm Actor Angus Scrimm Has Died
[H/T Bloody Disgusting]
