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Big props to my brother in action Eoin Friel from The Action Elite for posting this based off Screen Daily’s exclusive a day ago. It looks like the sword and sorcery themed fantasy action movies that were massively popular in the golden era of VHS and video stores are making a rather welcome comeback as SD announced that action and martial arts star Daniel Bernhardt, most known for the Bloodsport sequels as well as roles in John Wick, The Matrix and Extraction 2, has enlisted to star in a reboot of the Roger Corman cult classic film Deathstalker.
Per Screen Daily, the reboot was written and helmed by filmmaker Steven Kostanski who is best known for making the surprise hit Psycho Gorman which was a blood-soaked ode to over-the-top sci-fi horror flicks. The plot for the reboot involves Bernhardt as “the titular barbarian who becomes cursed by a magical talisman that draws him into conflict with a malevolent wizard and a clan of monstrous assassins.”
The biggest draw here is that Kostanski looks to honor those 80’s films that came in droves after Schwarzenegger starred in Conan the Barbarian and that it his “new vision promises a greater emphasis on exploring the fantasy setting and filling it with monsters that will be largely rendered through creature suits, prosthetic make-up, and stop-motion animation.” In other words, CGI is going to take a backseat with this one and the film will be shot retro style with practical stunt work, effects and creature makeup and suits. If you’re going to make a film like Deathstalker, that’s the way to do it! Sign me up!
“Every installment [of Deathstalker] has played so fast and loose with its lore, which means that there’s no limit to my imagination when it comes to what I can pit Deathstalker against,” Kostanski stated in the article.
The original Deathstalker was released in 1983 and starred veteran 80’s action go to guy Rick Hill and was produced by genre guru Roger Corman. The first film was a little more serious while the sequel, 1987’s Deathstalker II: Dual of the Titans, was way more tongue in cheek and contained a lot more humor which was intentional. John Terlesky took over the role from Hill in that one and both movies are prime examples of what made the video store decade of the 80’s so fantastic. There were two more sequels in the franchise with John Allen Nelson starring as the titular Barbarian in 1988’s Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell while Hill returned to the role in 1991’s Deathstalker IV: Match of Titans. All four films radiated cheese and bolstered action set pieces, beautiful women and monsters galore.
You know what that means! I’m going to have to break out all four flicks and check ’em out as I have not seen them for years. Hell, it was probably the early 90’s since I last watched those so a rewatch is definitely in the cards to properly get amped up for Bernhardt’s movie.
Lock N Load and stay tuned for more Intel to hit on Daniel Bernhardt’s Deathstalker reboot as we are the ultimate destination for your Action Fix!!!
