From the Desk of Alfie Ellison, VP of International Development: The Fever

 

Last Resort Films Studio is proud to announce the development of The Fever, a haunting new psychological horror film inspired by the real and deeply unsettling events of the Dancing Plague of 1518. Set against the suffocating heat of a medieval Strasbourg summer, the project will explore one of history’s most bizarre and disturbing phenomena through a grounded, immersive cinematic lens.

Directing the project is acclaimed filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, whose distinct and unsettling approach to human behavior and societal structures makes him an ideal fit for the material. Lanthimos is expected to bring a controlled, observational style to the film, allowing the horror to emerge not through spectacle, but through repetition, discomfort, and the slow erosion of normalcy.

Leading the film is Mia Goth, who will portray Frau Troffea, the first woman to begin dancing. Goth has emerged as one of the most compelling performers in contemporary horror, known for her ability to convey vulnerability, instability, and quiet intensity. Her role in The Fever is expected to be physically and emotionally demanding, anchoring the film’s descent into collective madness.

Early development outlines position The Fever as a deliberately paced, visually controlled film that prioritizes tone and atmosphere over traditional narrative structure. The story will unfold through the perspectives of those attempting to understand the phenomenon, as well as those consumed by it, creating a layered and increasingly disorienting experience for the audience.

The studio has emphasized that the film will avoid offering a definitive explanation for the events depicted, instead leaning into ambiguity and allowing viewers to interpret the cause - whether psychological, medical, or supernatural - on their own. This approach is seen as central to preserving the mystery and historical intrigue of the real-life event.

Last Resort Films views The Fever as a prestige genre project with strong critical potential, appealing to audiences drawn to elevated horror and character-driven storytelling. With Lanthimos and Goth attached, the project is already generating significant interest within the industry.

Last Resort Films looks forward to bringing this unsettling and unforgettable story to audiences worldwide.

For any inquiries please contact LRF Vice President of International Development Alfie Ellison

The Fever
Project Details
Based on the true events of the The Dancing Plague of 1518
Genre: Psychological Horror / Historical Drama
Attached Talent
Director Yorgos Lanthimos
Star Mia Goth

Logline
When a woman in 16th-century Strasbourg begins dancing uncontrollably in the street, a spreading phenomenon consumes the city, forcing a physician and a priest into a desperate conflict over whether the cause is disease, hysteria, or something far more unknowable.

IN DEVELOPMENT

 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2: Some new faces to the franchise will also be joining the upcoming Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel. Nick Frost (Run For Your Life, How to Train Your Dragon) has signed to play Buffy's new Watcher, Giles. Meanwhile, Sophie Lowe (Poison Ivy: Mind Games, The Hammer of Thor: The Frost War) and Elena Kampouris (Wifelike, Here Now) will both play ancient vampire villains, and Bailey Bass (Avatar: Fire and Ash, "Interview with the Vampire") will play the captain of a rival high school. Cathy Yan directs from a script by Walter McKnight.

Fading Star: Charlie Tahan (Letter to Myself, Titans: Evil Incarnate), Eliza Coupe ("Future Man", The Estate), and Fivel Stewart (Umma, "The Recruit") have joined the supporting cast of the Chloe Grace Moretz-led former child star drama, Fading Star. Christopher Storer is directing the film, which has been written by Holden Abbott.

Kill Bin Laden: Darren Aronofsky's political thriller has cast Annette Bening (The Betrothed, Rachel Rising) as former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Jamey Sheridan (Tough Girl, Driven) as former Vice President Joe Biden. The film is set to depict the events that led to the death of terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden from the White House's point of view. Alex Conn penned the film.

Ilvermorny: The Hidden School: The second entry in LRF's newly founded "Wizarding World" franchise, which started last season with The House of Black, now officially has a second film on the way. This time around, we will be taken to Ilvermorny, a little-known American school for wizardry. Leading the young cast will be Javon Walton (Samaritan, "Under the Bridge"), Elva Guerra ("Dark Winds", "Reservation Dogs"), and Mason Thames (The Monster Squad, Black Phone 2). Francis Lawrence (The Shadow, Pompeii), no stranger to YA-style films, is set to direct. Dawson Edwards (The Quiet Between Us, Unkempt Garden) is the writer of this one, joining Sammy-Jo Ellis in the franchise.

The Midnight Library: Fresh off her recent Best Supporting Actress GRA victory, Jessie Buckley (Dust Saint, X-Men: Age of Apocalypse) is now set to headline a film based on Matt Haig's best-selling novel. She will play a woman named Nora Seed, who after reaching a breaking point in her life, finds herself in a mystical library that allows her to explore the infinite versions of her life and discover what truly makes it worth living. She will be joined by Julie Walters (Paddington in Peru, The Secret Garden) and Daryl McCormack (Man-Thing, Wake Up Dead Man) in supporting roles. Michel Gondry (The Friend Zone, War of the Currents) has been tapped to direct the film from an adaptation by Meirad Tako (1016 West Monroe, Thus Dreamed Zarathustra). 

Tales from the Crypt: On the way from writer Joshua Collins (1995, The Friend Zone) is a new film adaptation of Tales from the Crypt - based on the comic and television series of the same name. Instead of taking the previous approaches of a feature film telling one story, this adaptation will take an anthology approach telling four short stories. John Kassir (If It B;eeds, Rockbottom) will reprise his voice role as the Crypt Keeper. RJ Cyler (The Essence, Graduation Trip), Diedrich Bader (The 4:30 Movie, Nineteen Eight Four - Part Two), Dan Fogler (The Cape, Plastic Man), and Sam Worthington (Blood Meridian, Halo: Reach) have all signed on to appear in segments in the film. The four segments in the project will be directed by Michael Dougherty (Krampus, Godzilla: King of the Monsters), Bryan Bertino (Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Flesh and Blood, Flames), Ti West (Camping, Pearl), and Andy Muschietti (Burnt Dreams, Reality). 

PREMIERE MAGAZINE #356

 

THE ROUNDUP WITH JEFF STOCKTON (SEASON 36 ROUND 6)

 

FLETCH

This was never going to be an easy assignment. When you remake—or more accurately, re-adapt—Fletch, you're immediately inviting comparisons to Chevy Chase. And honestly, trying to beat Chevy Chase at being Chevy Chase is a losing proposition. Glen Powell wisely doesn't even try. Instead, Powell creates his own version of Irwin Fletcher. The sarcasm is still there. The confidence is still there. The charm is still there. But it feels like a different man inhabiting the character rather than someone doing an impression.

A lot of the credit also belongs to Chad Taylor and Richard Linklater. They understood that audiences weren't looking for Fletch Lives all over again. The bones of Gregory McDonald's story remain familiar, but the tone shifts enough to justify the new adaptation. It respects the Chevy Chase version without becoming trapped by it. That's a difficult balancing act. They pulled it off.

ASSASSIN'S CREED: ETERNAL

This is the Assassin's Creed movie fans have been waiting nearly two decades for.

The first LRF attempt, Assassin's Creed: The New Order, largely ignored the games and invented its own mythology. The Michael Fassbender film made a similar mistake by treating the franchise like generic historical science fiction instead of embracing what players actually loved. 

Roy Horne finally understood the assignment. Instead of inventing another disconnected protagonist, he leans into characters, locations, and historical settings that fans already had emotional investment in. Better yet, he doesn't simply photocopy one game's plot. By combining elements from multiple eras and multiple games, Assassin's Creed: Eternal feels both familiar and unpredictable. That's exactly how adaptations should work. Honor the source material without becoming imprisoned by it.

And yes... after seeing this one, I'm genuinely looking forward to the sequel Roy Horne recently teased on the board.

DARKNESS

One of my favorite things to see in LRF is a modestly budgeted movie unexpectedly breaking through. You don't need a $200 million budget to become one of the season's success stories. Darkness proves that.

The biggest reason it works commercially is Maika Monroe. The entire film rests squarely on her shoulders, and she delivers exactly the kind of performance it needed. Without her, I'm not convinced audiences connect with the material nearly as much.

The movie itself has flaws—and we'll get there—but seeing a sci-fi/suspense film turn a healthy profit instead of getting buried by larger productions is always encouraging. These are the kinds of wins that help diversify a slate.

DARKNESS

Yes... I'm putting it in both columns. Because while I respect what the movie accomplished financially, I found the film itself to be... okay. Not great.

Outside of Maika Monroe's excellent performance, I kept waiting for the story to fully capitalize on its premise, and it never quite did. The concept had enough potential to become something genuinely unsettling, but the screenplay seemed content exploring only part of what was possible. 

And perhaps my biggest disappointment? This never really felt like an Osgood Perkins movie. Perkins has developed such a distinct identity as a filmmaker—patient, unnerving, deeply atmospheric—that I expected something with a stronger personality. Instead, Darkness often felt surprisingly conventional. Competently made? Absolutely. But if you'd removed Perkins' name from the credits, I'm not sure I would've guessed he directed it. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It's just disappointing when you know what he's capable of.

PROFITS

Yes... Every movie this round made money. That's great. Unfortunately, accounting doesn't reset every three films.

The reality is that Season 36 still finds itself well behind pace because of the massive losses accumulated earlier in the year. One profitable round helps stop the bleeding, but it doesn't erase the wounds.

And when I look ahead at the remaining schedule, I'm struggling to identify the cavalry. Sure, The Hulk 3 looks like an obvious blockbuster waiting to happen. Beyond that? I don't see many guaranteed home runs. There isn't a Batman. There isn't a James Bond. There isn't a Superman. The back half of the season feels filled with movies that could succeed rather than movies that almost certainly will.

That makes me nervous.

ON LOCATION (SEASON 36 ROUND 6)

 

Assassins' Creed: Eternal

- Montreal, Quebec, Canada

- Florence, Italy

Darkness

- Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Fletch

- Corpus Christi, Texas, USA

BOX OFFICE BREAKDOWN (SEASON 36 ROUND 6)

 

ASSASSIN'S CREED: ETERNAL

Budget: $143,000,000

Total Box Office: $421,105,411

Total Profit: $103,097,812

Ubisoft's flagship franchise continued its strong LRF run as Assassin's Creed: Eternal comfortably surpassed the $400 million mark worldwide. The film became another franchise anchor for Season 36 while further cementing Roy Horne's remarkable consistency at the box office.

BOX OFFICE FACT

Assassin's Creed: Eternal marks a dramatic turnaround for the franchise at LRF. The first attempt to adapt Ubisoft's series—Assassin's Creed: The New Order—abandoned the games' characters and settings and ultimately flopped at the box office. Eternal succeeds where its predecessor failed, becoming one of Season 36's biggest hits (so far).

GENRE RANKINGS

Action: #127

Sci-Fi: #52

Historical: #6

DARKNESS

Budget: $15,000,000

Total Box Office: $43,316,174

Total Profit: $20,700,400

One of the season's strongest return-on-investment stories, Darkness demonstrated once again that modestly budgeted genre filmmaking can deliver outstanding financial results. Built on a lean budget and solid audience support, the thriller became another profitable chapter in Maika Monroe's impressive LRF résumé.

BOX OFFICE FACT

Maika Monroe's LRF debut, Salem's Lot in Season 2, narrowly missed profitability with a loss of just $244,658. Since then, every one of her next five LRF films has turned a profit.

GENRE RANKINGS

Sci-Fi: #146

Suspense: #7

FLETCH

Budget: $50,000,000

Total Box Office: $123,159,160

Total Profit: $19,009,446

Richard Linklater's reinvention of the classic detective earned a solid theatrical return, giving Glen Powell an important commercial rebound after one of the few setbacks of his LRF career. While not a breakout blockbuster, Fletch comfortably justified its investment and introduced the character to a new generation of audiences.

BOX OFFICE FACT

Following the disappointment of Robopocalypse in Season 34, Glen Powell returns to profitability as a leading man. Prior to that lone stumble, Powell had appeared in 13 consecutive profitable films, dating all the way back to his supporting role in Season 1's The Associate.

GENRE RANKINGS

Dark Comedy: #2

Mystery: #11

Season 36 Round 6 Total Box Office:

$587,580,745

Season 36 Round 6 Total Profit:

$142,807,658

Round 6 became the season's most balanced commercial success, with all three releases turning a profit. Assassin's Creed: Eternal led the way, but Darkness and Fletch ensured the round wasn't carried by a single blockbuster alone.

Season 36 Total Box Office:

$3,368,582,496

Season 36 Total Profit:

$638,165,550

Through six rounds, Season 36 has generated $3.37 billion worldwide and $638 million in profit. While blockbuster performances from Boba Fett and Donkey Kong Country have provided a strong foundation, the season has also been weighed down by several notable disappointments. With four rounds remaining, LRF remains on pace for a respectable—but not exceptional—financial finish.

SEASON 36 BOX OFFICE STANDINGS

1. Boba Fett — $763,673,771 👑

2. Donkey Kong Country — $720,434,668 👑

3. Lobo — $480,893,956 🔥

4. Assassin's Creed: Eternal — $421,105,411 🔥

5. Luke Cage: The Purple Man — $249,978,106 💰

6. Stretch Armstrong — $144,189,611 ☠️

7. Fletch — $123,159,160 💰

8. Echoes of Red — $82,814,137 💰

9. Double Date — $80,369,160 💰

10. Gray — $62,441,218 💣

11. Darkness — $43,316,174 💰

12. 1995 — $40,003,252 💰

13. Pirouette — $39,100,555 📉

14. Three Rounds — $34,386,590 💣

15. The Quiet Between Us — $26,319,562 📉

16. Heartbeat — $25,404,407 💣

17. Diary of a Wimpy Kid — $18,000,669 💣

18. 1016 West Monroe — $12,992,089 💣

LRF TRIVIA TIDBITS (SEASON 36 ROUND 6)

 

Round 6 of Season 36 looks toward both the future and the past—laying the groundwork for an ambitious franchise, celebrating one of LRF’s modern horror icons, and revealing how an established filmmaker’s personal relationship helped secure one of the season’s most anticipated directing gigs.

Assassin's Creed: Eternal

LRF is thinking well beyond a single installment with Assassin's Creed: Eternal. Every featured actor signed on to the project is under a three-film contract, with the expectation that each performer will portray at least two different characters across the next two sequels—a fitting approach for a franchise built around generations of interconnected Assassins.

Darkness

With Darkness, Maika Monroe further cements her status as one of LRF’s premier scream queens. The film marks her sixth appearance for the studio—and remarkably, her fifth in either the horror or suspense genre—continuing a career that has become closely associated with modern psychological and supernatural thrillers.

Fletch

Before Richard Linklater officially came aboard, writer Chad Taylor's new Fletch adaptation briefly had Rian Johnson under consideration for the director’s chair. In the end, Linklater secured the project thanks in large part to his existing creative relationship with star Glen Powell, giving the film a filmmaker-actor pairing already built on mutual trust.