Last year, while filmmakerJames Gunnwas working on the script for his new superhero sequelGuardians of the Galaxy 2, he was also sharing updates on a new film he had written and will produce, entitledThe Belko Experiment. The filmmaker revealed that the idea for this story came to him in a dream, and he spent the next two weeks hammering out the script. In March, Australian directorGreg McLean(Wolf Creek) came aboard to direct, with production taking place last summer, but we haven’t heard anything about the project since then. Earlier today, the Toronto International Film Festival announced thatThe Belko Experimentwill have its world premiere as part of the Midnight Madness section, while the first photos and plot details were unveiled.
The director revealed that after MGM presidentJonathan Glickmanwanted to make the film, he had to promise to stay true to the “intense and uncompromising” nature ofJames Gunn’s script, while teasing it still has the “heart and humor” of his films. Along with the new photos, theToronto International Film Festivalunveiled the first official plot synopsis. Take a look at the first officialstory detailsbelow.
“On what appears to be a normal day at Belko Industries, Belko employees are horrified when they find out that they’ve become guinea pigs in a company-wide experiment which will lead them to either kill their fellow employees or be murdered themselves. The experiment is masterminded by a mysterious voice which is controlling the loud speaker and instructing the employees to slaughter each other by any means necessary.”
Featured in these photos areJohn Gallagher Jr.,Tony Goldwyn,Michael Rooker,David Dastmalchian,Owain YeomanandJohn C. McGinley. Thediverse castalso includesAdria Arjona,Melonie Diaz,Sean Gunn,Steve Agee,Valentine Miele,Gail Bean,Steven Blakeheart,Rusty Schwimmer,Josh Brener,David Del Rio,Abraham Benrubi,Joe Fria,Ben Davis,James Earl,Brent SextonandMikaela Hoover. We’ll have to wait and see if the first trailer will debut before its world premiere at TIFF.
Production took place in Bogota, Columbia last summer, withJames Gunnproducing alongsidePeter Safran. It isn’t known exactly what the film will be rated when it eventually hits theaters, but since this is part of the Midnight Madness program at TIFF, it’s probably safe to assume that it will be anR-ratedthriller. While we wait for the first footage, check out these photos fromThe Belko Experimentbelow.
