Kurt Sutter – Picture: Getty Images
After the success of such titles as Fear Street and Army of the Dead, Netflix is delving further into the horror genre in a partnership with the famous horror production company Blumhouse. Together, they will develop and produce This Beast, a film inspired by true events in a French village from 1760s. Here’s what we know about Netflix’s This Beast:
The director, writer and producer for This Beast is Kurt Sutter, whose credits include Sons of Anarchy (soon to be leaving Netflix internationally), Mayans M.C., Southpaw, The Shield, and many more. He commented on this partnership with Netflix in a press release:
“Bringing my disturbing, familial story sensibility into the Blumhouse world just seemed like something that had to happen. And This Beast is the perfect project for that marriage. And Netflix is the perfect venue for that bloody ceremony.”
Kurt Sutter – Picture: Getty Images
Jason Blum, producer and CEO of Blumhouse, also commented about the partnership:
“We’ve long been fans of Kurt and his unparalleled storytelling — that’s both visceral and packs an emotional punch. We’re excited that Blumhouse is producing his first feature for Netflix,”
Jason Blum will produce for Blumhouse with Carla Hacken who will produce under her banner Paper Pictures.
Blumhouse is currently also working on another high-profile Netflix project in the form of Mr. Harrigan’s Phone where they’re teaming up with Ryan Murphy. Blumhouse previously released their slasher film Thriller on Netflix back in 2019. Beyond Netflix, Blumhouse works with Universal Pictures via a 10-year-deal and has released a number of titles independently and with other partners.
What’s the plot of This Beast?
Here is the logline for Netflix’s This Beast:
An 18th century English village is besieged by a mysterious and elusive beast. Dozens of innocents are slaughtered and the mayhem is driven to puritanical heights by religious fanaticism. The impossible task of killing the beast falls to a lowly trapper who promises he can stop the carnage. But for him this hunt is not a professional mission, it’s a deeply personal one.
The idea was inspired by The Beast of Gévaudan. A true story about a mysterious beast that terrorized a French village in the 1760s. Here’s a description of those events:
The Beast of Gévaudan is the historical name associated with a man-eating animal or animals which terrorised the former province of Gévaudan between 1764 and 1767. The attacks, which covered an area spanning 90 by 80 kilometres, were said to have been committed by one or more beasts with formidable teeth and immense tails, according to contemporary eyewitnesses. Most descriptions from the period identify the beast as a striped hyena, wolf, dog, or wolf-dog hybrid.
Victims were often killed by having their throats torn out. The Kingdom of France used a considerable amount of money and manpower to hunt the animals responsible, including the resources of several nobles, soldiers, royal huntsmen, and civilians. The number of victims differs according to the source. A 1987 study estimated there had been 610 attacks, resulting in 500 deaths and 49 injuries; 98 of the victims killed were partly eaten. Other sources claim the animal or animals killed between 60 and 100 adults and children and injured more than 30.The beast was reported killed several times before the attacks finally stopped.
Who is cast in This Beast?
As of December 2021, no cast members have been announced for Netflix’s This Beast.
What’s the production status of This Beast?
Netflix’s This Beast is currently in active development with the scripts being written and pre-production starting soon. Production will likely start sometime in 2022.
What’s the Netflix release date for This Beast?
Netflix hasn’t announced any release dates for This Beast, but considering a potential 2022 filming start, it would probably be released sometime in 2023.
