“A Song of Ice and Fire” author George R. R. Martin has adapted Howard Waldrop’s short story “Night of the Cooters” into a short film of the same name. Vincent D’Onofrio (“Marvel’s Daredevil”) lended his acting and directorial talents, leading the short to take home Best Sci-Fi at this year’s LA Shorts International Film Festival.
The “Night of the Cooters” film adaptation “follows the time when martians invaded Pachuco, Texas in the 1800’s.” D’Onofrio described the project as “This adventurous little western, science-fiction short film was a kick to make. A small but large collaboration of talented people, the film was shot in five days. Then, we put it all in a big bag and shook it up, hoping something cool would come together. We did; it did.”
This is a long-desired collaboration between Martin and Waldrop, who have been friends for over 60 years. “It was a thrill to be able to work with Vincent D’Onofrio, the team at Trioscope and the rest of our amazing cast and crew and an honor to bring one of Howard Waldrop’s wild and wonderful stories to the screen,” Martin, who executive produced “Night of the Cooters,” said. “There is only one Waldrop!”
“Night of the Cooters” is made up of a combination between live-action and CG footage. It was produced by Trioscope, Lumenscapes, and Fevre River Packet Company. Joe R. Lansdale (“Love, Death + Robots”) adapted the screenplay.
In addition to D’Onofrio, it stars Hopper Penn (“Signs of Love”), Harrison Page (“Better Things”), Luce Raines (“The Marksman”), Elias Gallegos (“The Marksman”), Cristin McCleary (“Westworld”), Martin Sensmeier (“Westworld”), Jazzy Kim O’Brien (“The Creepers”), and Darius Eteeyun (“Rutherford Falls”).
“This win is a true testament to collaboration at its best. Vincent had a very specific vision; his artistry drove this project, and we’re grateful that he chose our tools and technology to bring this wild sci-fi tale to life,” CEO and co-founder of Trioscope LC Crowley added. “We’re happy we could help him and George pay homage to Howard’s incredible short story.”
We’ll let you know if the short gets a release. Check out the trailer now, and pick up “Night of the Cooters” the book from Amazon here.
