Steven Kostanski is a real craftsman in horror filmmaking, not only he is the producer, writer, and director of his films but he is also responsible for the make-up and special effects in his and others’ productions. He has been working in the make-up and prosthetics in popular films including It (2017), Suicide Squad (2016), Crimson Peak (2015), Clown (2014), The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013), Resident Evil: Retribution (2012), Silent Hill: Revelation (2012), Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings (2011), and the TV series Hannibal (2013–2015).
But he is mostly notorious for his work as a movie director. His two most celebrated works are two horror films that appeared in most of the top lists of their years, the insane horror-comedy Psycho Goreman (2020) and the gory Lovecraftian tale The Void (2016). He has also been responsible for Manborg (2011), Father’s Day (2011), Leprechaun Returns (2018), and segments in ABCs of Death 2 (2014) and V/H/S/94 (2021).
With such a resume, to notice that his upcoming movie is already a wrap is very good news. The film is entitled Frankie Freako and it centers on an uptight yuppie who after calling a late-night party hotline that promises out-of-this-world fun must battle the pint-sized forces of evil unleashed through his phone line, led by the maniacal rock n’ roll goblin.
The movie is starring two actors that have worked in several of the director’s previous works, Conor Sweeney, also seen in The Editor (2014), and Adam Brooks, who also appears in The Grudge (2020). Kristy Wordsworth (Octopus Pot (2022), The Spy Who Never Dies (2022), and Blaze (2022)) complete the main cast.
Shout! Studios are producing Frankie Freako. They say about the film and its director “Steven is a human love letter to genre films, and this is a partnership Shout! has long sought […]With his impeccable sense of tone and humor, not to mention his wizardry with practical effects, Frankie Freako will surely delight fans of those subversive and mischievous creature features of yesteryear”.
No release dates have been announced yet but it’s expected Frankie Freako to be released on most of the digital platforms and, hopefully, be part of most of the genre festivals in the second half of the year.
