If you guessed that Shane Black’s “The Predator” would have a world premiere at a prestigious film festival, then congratulations! You are clearly way better at film festival prognostication than most. And joining the upcoming sequel with a world premiere is another highly-anticipated horror sequel, “Halloween.”
This year’s Midnight Madness slate at the Toronto International Film Festival is filled with quite a few surprises. Of the 10 films chosen, the standouts are clearly “The Predator” and David Gordon Green’s upcoming reboot/sequel “Halloween.” That being said, the blockbuster films are not the only standouts in the program. Acclaimed British filmmaker Peter Strickland is premiering his latest film, “In Fabric.” Gaspar Noé’s “Climax” will have its North American premiere after a great reception at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. And “Assassination Nation,” which gives us…feelings, is going to have its Canadian premiere.
“This year’s Midnight Madness slate promises another idiosyncratic confluence of established and emerging genre filmmakers,” said Peter Kuplowsky, Midnight Madness Programmer. “To complement some of the buzziest provocations on the festival circuit, I have sought to curate an eccentric array of World Premieres that demonstrate the dexterity of genre cinema as a canvas for both sublime satisfaction and stunning subversion. That includes the section’s two much-anticipated sequels, ‘The Predator’ and ‘Halloween,’ each of which boldly and brilliantly builds upon its mythic iconography to thrilling and surprising effect.”
The Toronto International Film Festival begins September 6.
Films screening as part of the Midnight Madness programme include:
Assassination Nation | Sam Levinson, USA
Canadian Premiere
Climax | Gaspar Noé, France
North American Premiere
Midnight Madness Closing Film
Diamantino | Gabriel Abrantes, Daniel Schmidt, Portugal/France/Brazil
North American Premiere
Halloween | David Gordon Green, USA
World Premiere
In Fabric | Peter Strickland, UK
World Premiere
The Man Who Feels No Pain | Vasan Bala, India
World Premiere
Nekrotronic | Kiah Roache-Turner, Australia
World Premiere
Midnight Madness Opening Film
The Predator | Shane Black, USA
World Premiere
The Standoff at Sparrow Creek | Henry Dunham, USA
World Premiere
The Wind | Emma Tammi, USA
World Premiere