Welcome back to “The Week in Horror,” HitFix's ongoing series that rounds up the 10 most pertinent fright-genre stories to break over the last seven days. In this week's edition: one of our greatest comedians is hot for our greatest sci-fi/horror franchise, FOX raises the ire of fanboys with its apparently-infuriating adaptation of a Neil Gaiman comic book series and Dan Aykroyd isn't letting certain failure keep him from pushing for another “conventional” “Ghostbusters” sequel. See below for the full roundup.
#1 Louis C.K. wants in on this “Alien” business
The Emmy-winning comedian not only wants to star in the Neill Blomkamp-directed sequel (see below), he'd like to “die in a terrible way,” as Sigourney Weaver related on Wednesday's episode of “Jimmy Fallon.” If this happens, he's totally the new Paul Reiser.
#2 Neill Blomkamp is directing the next “Alien” movie
It's official! The director of one very good film and one very bad film has been confirmed for the next entry in the long-running “Alien” franchise, over 17 years after “Alien: Resurrection” first disappointed everybody. The movie will reportedly be set after the events of Ridley Scott's “Prometheus 2,” leaving many of us to wonder how, exactly, they will shoehorn Sigourney Weaver into it.
#3 FOX will burn in Hell for “Lucifer”
A prospective series based on the Neil Gaiman-created comic book character has been picked up to pilot by the network. Who's excited about this? Not “Lucifer” fans, who are outraged by reports that the show will be rendered as a police procedural — a distinct move away from the tone of the original comics. Scared for FOX right now.
[Deadline]
#4 Another teaser for “Bates Motel” Season 3 arrives
Incest! Get ready for it.
#5 “Evil Dead” sequel series casts its leading lady
Recurring “Sleepy Hollow” star Jill Marie Jones has been cast opposite Bruce Campbell in “Ash vs. Evil Dead,” Starz's 10-episode original series that will serve as a follow-up to the original trilogy directed by Sam Raimi. The actress will play “disgraced state trooper” Amanda Fisher as she teams up with Campbell's Ash to battle “the plague of evil dead.” Raimi is directing the first episode of the series, which was influenced by horror-comedy creator Ryan Murphy.
[Variety]
#6 Here's a trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's “Wayward Pines”
Was “The Sixth Sense” actually good, or are we just misremembering?
#7 Dan Aykroyd swears there will be a “conventional” “Ghostbusters” sequel somewhere down the line
While noting that he loves the script for the new Paul Feig-directed “Ghostbusters” film starring an all-female cast, Aykroyd made sure to mention that he's written “three drafts of the old concept.” Seriously, this is going to happen! “Yeah, we”re gonna be able to use it some day,” said Aykroyd on Sirius XM's “Unmasked with Ron Bennington.” “Let”s get this one made and that will reinvigorate the franchise and then we”ll go on to maybe doing a more conventional third sequel as we were planning and another idea I have for it.” Something tells me Harold Ramis dying will be the least of his obstacles.
#8 Watch Olivia Wilde describe her trip to Hell in this new “Lazarus Effect” clip
She may or may not be talking about “Cowboys & Aliens” here.
#9 Learn the “Rules of the Vampire” with “What We Do in the Shadows” stars Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi
Also, check out our interview with them!
#10 Marilyn Manson meets an infuriating musical genre
“This is the New Shit” is one of my favorite Marilyn Manson singles! Here's a ska version of it. We don't need a reason for this, by the way.