300 meets Cloverfield? That seems to be the concept behind Peter Briggs’ attempt to create a new “tent-pole” franchise, Mortis Rex (though anyone who has been reading the Backbrain regularly might catch a whiff of Outlander as well).
Here is the official logline:
Mortis Rex is an Ancient Rome monster movie. In 123 AD, a disgraced Roman war hero is sent to defend a Roman garrison stationed in remote Scotland from a spate of mysterious killings. The hero reclaims his rightful warrior status by uniting with the local Druids and vanquishing a terrifying supernatural beast.
According to the website, it’s a “terrifying, fantastical action movie in the vein of Brotherhood of the Wolf” … though presumably the monster, as depicted in the storyboard art above, is very large indeed and not some artificial construct.
Briggs, who co-wrote the first Hellboy movie and has been involved in the writing of a few other high-profile genre franchises, commented:
“As a former cinematographer, and as a screenwriter writing on some of the most memorable Hollywood tent-pole horror and sci-fi franchises of recent years, I’ve used that to shape Mortis Rex into a highly accessible piece of entertainment: by turns both an action-packed thrill-ride and equally a scary, heart stopping nail-biter. Working with Intandem and their expertise in film finance and sales, I’m excited about the potential of the film.” (BloodyDisgusting.com)
Synopsis:
AD:122 when our chilling tale begins….
In an isolated region of the Roman Empire, a Disgraced Roman war hero, Cassiius, has been sent to defend a Roman garrison, following a terrifying spate of mysterious and brutal killings. Or hero reclaims his rightful warrior status by uniting with his fellow Roman Legionaries and a beautiful Druid warrior maiden from the local village. Their mission … to vanquish a terrifying supernatural beast that has been spewed from the mouth of Hell…
“Mortis Rex” is Latin for “King of Death”.
The film is budgeted at $25 million and will begin filming in the second quarter of next year.
- Sources: Official website via Kaiju Search-Robot Avery
- Bloody Disgusting
- Storyboard art on Quiet Earth
That…is strangely enticing. Though as you say, hopefully not a cop-out “monster” like in Brotherhood of the Wolf (I wanted my mysterious wolf creature, dammit!).
This one definitely sounds like a winner. I can’t wait to see more on it. That one little tease pic has got me drooling!!
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