Tag: Unwelcome

UNWELCOME is out TODAY!

Finally that film what I wrote is unleashed upon an unsuspecting public! UNWELCOME is in UK cinemas today (it’s coming to the USA March 10, and the rest of the world soon after). Does this mean I’ll stop spaffing on about it? Nope. Once again for those at the back, here’s the trailer…

The question I get asked the most is, “Are you going to see it?” To which the only reply is, “No bloody way.” I had my dream screening at the Sitges Film Festival, and with all due respect to the good folk munching popcorn, slurping on vats of coke, and checking social media during the screenings at my local megaplex, it just won’t be the same. Plus, I’m a big chicken. And I really want to see The Fabelmans.

I also get asked, “Is it on near where I live?”, like I go around with a list of screenings in my head (I can barely remember what day of the week it is). It’s on 300 screens in the UK/Eire this week, and my podcast colleague Mr Desvaux reassures me that clicking on this link will give you the local screening times/places… Though when my dad tried it, he got listings in Singapore, so I’m now worried that he’s probably been hacked.

If you want to know more about the making of the film, there’s a Bestseller Experiment Deep Dive with me and director Jon Wright. We recorded this back in the summer of 2021, when we were doing what they call EPK (Electronic Press Kit) interviews and had all the cameras and mics handy…

And Jon is also on a special episode of the Film Stories podcast talking about the film and his career…

My thanks to those who were lucky enough to go to the previews on Tuesday and said kind things. I’m keeping track of of the various bits of press and publicity and have bundled them all here on a special UNWELCOME page, which I’m currently updating on a daily basis!

The UNWELCOME publicity bandwagon gets rolling…

UNWELCOME had special previews at Cineworld and Odeon cinemas last night and already people are buzzing about it. I understand that Twitter is not the real world and Mr Musk is doing his best to turn it into a digital hellscape, but it was great to see so much love for UNWELCOME last night. Here’s a sample of my favourite comments…

Also, I was delighted to be on the Dominic King show on BBC Radio Kent last night. I’m on the show twice talking about UNWELCOME: at 42:18 and there’s an extended version at 2:38:04… Here’s a listen back link.

And we had a great first review from Ellen E Jones at The Guardian…

This is Straw Dogs by way of Fraggle Rock, essentially; but the script by Wright and Mark Stay weaves in enough anxieties, both contemporary and primal, to sustain suspense even amid the silliness. It adds up to an enjoyably unpretentious Irish-ish folk horror. And not a shamrock in sight.

Ellen E Jones, The Guardian

UNWELCOME is on the cover of FILM STORIES magazine!

Blimey!! Unwelcome is on the cover of the new Film Stories mag! And there’s a five-page feature on how we made it. Grab your copy here, or just treat yourself and subscribe to one of the best films mags there is!

This is a particular treat for me, as I’ve listened to the Film Stories podcast and subscribed to the magazine since it began, and its editor and founder Simon Brew is simply one of the nicest men you’ll ever meet. So do please support one of the great film independent film magazines if you can!

Lou Abercrombie on the Bestseller Experiment

I was rubbish at Maths at school, so it would have been wonderful to have to something like Lou Abercrombie‘s book AMAZING MATHS when I was a wee lad. Lou tells me about this new book and her fab children’s novels, FIG SWIMS THE WORLD and COMING UP FOR AIR and how she’s inspired by water.

And if that wasn’t enough, listeners/viewers also get a sneak peek at a special Deep Dive I recorded a very long time ago when director Jon Wright and I answered listener questions on the making of our film UNWELCOME. That Deep Dive goes live on Friday, which is the same day as the film’s release in the UK! Which are you more excited about…???

New Poster art for UNWELCOME

I love this new poster art for UNWELCOME! The film is out on 27th January in the UK and 17th March in the USA (not sure elsewhere, so please check local listings!). There are more details here.

And here’s the trailer if you haven’t seen it already…

Christian Cameron on the Bestseller Experiment

A rare thing these days: an in-person interview for the podcast! I got to meet the delightful Christian Cameron in the bowels of Hachette’s big publishing castle near Blackfriars Bridge. We discuss worldbuilding, research, and learning to write without doubting yourself (something I’m not sure I’ll ever get the hang of). Also, before the interview, Me and Mr D discuss AI and how it might impact authors over the coming years…

One Month until UNWELCOME hits UK cinemas…

Just one month until you can see this handsome devil in action in UK cinemas…

Just to be clear… this is before I went into hair and make up…

This pic appeared in the new issue of Empire magazine and it’s the first clear look at the malevolent redcaps who cause so much chaos in the story. The original designs for the redcaps came from the wonderful concept artist Paul Catling, and they were brought to life by the genius of Shaune Harrison’s prosthetics, Paddy Eason’s VFX, and second unit director (and redcap wrangler) Rick Warden.

This is how this redcap is described in the original script…

A BIG NOSED REDCAP - two foot tall and standing on skinny legs with an oversized, misshapen head.
Its eyes are milky-white and skin is like burned bacon. Tufts of hair sprout from odd places and its jaw juts out revealing razor sharp rows of teeth. It wears a tanned skin cloak stained dark red and a dagger on a belt.

Film is a collaborative medium, so there are plenty of others who helped bring this critter to life. Do check out their names on IMDb here. It never fails to amaze me just how much work goes into making movies, and the best way to see their incredible work is on a big screen so I really hope you can make it to the movies on January 27th! (I think we’re out in the US in March… not sure about the rest of the world yet, but I’ll bang the drum here when I know more).

There’s more info on the Warner Bros UK website, and here’s the trailer…

Unwelcome will premiere at Sitges in October

It’s just been confirmed that Unwelcome (that monster movie I wrote) will premiere at the Sitges Film Festival next month! This is particularly exciting as the festival is regarded as one of the best horror/fantasy festivals in the world, and I’m really excited (and mildly terrified) to see it with an audience.

And yes, I’ll be there in person in sunny Spain, so let me know if you’re going! There are more details about the festival here.

And here’s the trailer if you haven’t seen it already (and yes, bafflingly, I’m in the trailer, too… don’t have nightmares)…

The UNWELCOME trailer is here!

That film wot I wrote now has a trailer!

Trigger warning: there’s something truly horrific at 1:02…

And here’s the poster…

Feels great to finally get this out there! Would love to know what you think!