The horror genre loves to play up our culture’s unhealthy obsession with youth and beauty. And the upcoming Southern Gothic Scissor Mouth will be the newest addition to the well-loved genre. Starring Tara Reid (Sharknado) and Johnny Pemberton (Fallout), it is written and directed by Deborah Richards (Move Me No Mountain).
American Settings Meet Japanese Folktales
Set in the early 1980s, Scissor Mouth follows a teen girl whose abusive, beauty-obsessed mother holds her captive. She must escape her basement prison in rural Texas to show the world how cruel vanity can be. Though it’s set in America, an ancient Japanese folktale is the inspiration for the story.
Backed by 1905 Films with Patrick Wirtz producing. Production aims to start on the project next year in New Mexico.
“Scissor Mouth is my response to the impossible standards of beauty and the scars they leave behind,” Richards explains. “I wrote Johnny Pemberton’s role with him in mind from the very beginning because I knew his unique blend of humor and heart was exactly what the character needed, while Tara Reid embodies the perfect mix of charm, unpredictability, and humanity for this world. I can’t wait to watch them make these characters their own.”
“We have a provocative, fearless script that speaks directly to the world we’re living in today,” says Wirtz. “It’s the kind of horror that gets under your skin and stays with you. I believe it has all the ingredients to become a cult classic that audiences will want to watch, and rewatch, again and again.”
Boosting Indie Horror
This early in development, there are no set release windows for Scissor Mouth. When we see projects that pique our interest though, we want to put a spotlight on them as professionally early as we can. Especially when it comes to indie horror. It’s a genre that has proven itself to be burgeoning in all the best ways. We’ll keep you posted on updates about the movie as they develop.
