New Lovecraftian "From Beyond" Production on the Table

News continues to surface from Bloody-Disgusting about an upcoming film based on H.P. Lovecraft's tale "From Beyond." The cinematic adaption is in its early stages, and the reporting horror site only received a synopsis from Shoreline Entertainment (the outfit behind this new effort) and a few pictures of concept art. Most interesting is the open ended path the latest "From Beyond" can take. Shoreline Entertainment reports it will either be a remake of Stuart Gordon's original movie based on the Lovecraft short story, or a television production.

Both possibilities have their definite advantages. A movie that's able to make it into theaters and is allotted a good production budget may serve as an excellent way to introduce Lovecraft to a wider audience. A "From Beyond" film done well could help reverse the onslaught of B-Grade Lovecraftian films that has plagued cinematic horror for decades. It would also generate even more interest in Guillermo del Toro's planned adaption of "At the Mountains of Madness" set for production sometime in the next decade.

For the established Lovecraft admirer, however, a television series has obvious advantages. Multiple episodes would allow a fuller incorporation of HPL's original story to manifest. Additionally, it might encourage explorations of weird themes and dimensions only touched on by Lovecraft, though this would only work by being swiftly and imaginatively executed. By appearing on cable as a mini-series, a televised "From Beyond" can appear without the high pressures of a major motion picture to include cheap action, gore, and lust as necessary marketing points. These second rate thrills dragged down Gordon's 1986 adaption of "From Beyond," so minimizing them would only be common sense in the new production.

Either way, followers of the weird can know a new "From Beyond" will probably be upon us in the next five years. The form it takes and its plot should remain a source of much interest as the project begins in the near future.

-Grim Blogger