With full-on spooky season only a few months away, studios are beefing up their slated horror releases. Genre icon Jeffrey Combs (“Re-Animator,” “Star Trek: Lower Decks”) has just joined the cast of “Mystery of the Mothman.” The movie will be the feature directorial debut of Austin Birtch.
“Mystery of the Mothman” will explore the long-standing legend of the mysterious cryptid. Mothman was spotted several times in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, in the late 1960s. The being is described as birdlike and roughly the size of a human, with glowing red eyes.
“The character he’s playing, Adam Lubin, is the only paranormal investigator left in Point Pleasant in the wake of the Silver Bridge collapse,” Birtch told Variety about Combs’ casting. “His character is the anchor of the Mothman folklore in the film, tying the narrative to the legend’s origins.”
“Mystery of the Mothman”
“The Mothman legend is a unique fixture of North American folklore that has always felt ripe for adaptation,” says Birtch. “The original story of a town plagued with tragedy, a shadowy red-eyed, winged monster haunting the skies, bizarre Men in Black threatening UFO witnesses, and a telepathic alien calling himself Indrid Cold has always captivated my imagination. What really happened in Point Pleasant in 1967?!”
The legend of the Mothman has inspired festivals, art, and films. Most notably, 2002’s “The Mothman Prophecies” starring Richard Gere.
“While I want to honor that mythology, my approach to the material is as a creature-feature horror film with practical effects akin to early Carpenter or Spielberg,” Birtch explains. “I think audiences are going to love seeing this throwback creature feature that honors a familiar legend with a fresh spin – especially as audiences show renewed appreciation for practical effects and character-driven storytelling.”
“Working with executive producer and creature effects artist Steven Kostanski, we’re aiming to create a genuinely terrifying practical Mothman that feels ripped out of a ’70s creature feature – something fans of the cryptid have been longing for for years,” Birtch adds.
At this time, “Mystery of the Mothman” doesn’t have a set release date. We’ll keep you posted on details about the project as it develops.
