For someone who has been as prolific making music videos over the decades as Mark Romanek has, it’s absolutely shocking that the filmmaker doesn’t have more features under his belt. But honestly, when you look at his filmography, long gaps are pretty common, as it was 17 years between “Static” and “One-Hour Photo” and 8 more years between “One-Hour Photo” and “Never Let Me Go.” But with that latter feature arriving 11 years ago, it’s about time for a new Romanek film, right? Well, apparently that’s what we’re going to get with the film, “Mother Land.”
READ MORE: The Movies That Changed My Life: ‘Tales From The Loop’ Filmmaker Mark Romanek
According to Deadline, Romanek has signed on to direct “Mother Land,” a new horror-thriller written by Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby and produced by Lionsgate and 21 Laps. The film tells the story of a family that has been the subject of hauntings for years, but all of that gets thrown into question when one of the children begins to wonder if the evil is actually real.
“To have Mark Romanek board this project says everything you need to know about the quality of this material and where we are taking it tonally and artistically,” said Erin Westerman, President of Production for the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.
As mentioned, it’s been 11 years since Romanek’s most recent feature, “Never Let Me Go.” Since then, he directed an unused pilot for “Locke & Key,” as well as episodes of shows such as “Vinyl,” “The Whispers,” and “Tales from the Loop.” And of course, he’s done a number of music videos, which is where he initially gained fame. Over the years, he was attached to a number of features that didn’t actually come together, including “The Wolfman” starring Benicio Del Toro.
But considering how unique “One-Hour Photo” and “Never Let Me Go” are, fans have been really interested in seeing what type of feature films the filmmaker has next. And it would appear, on paper, that “Mother Land” is a unique thriller that could show just how much of a visual artist Romanek is behind the camera.
No release date for “Mother Land” has been revealed.
