Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things

Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things
(2023 est.)

-IN DEVELOPMENT- A modern retelling of the cult classic Bob Clark (A Christmas Story, Murder By Decree, Black Christmas) film of the same name. Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things is a darkly comic tale of young thrill-seekers who summon Satan to raise the dead to do their bidding, a summation that works...
with deadly consequences.

Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things is a horror film with comic overtones based on the 1972 film of the same name.
 
On All-hallows eve around midnight in an eerie cemetery for maximum security criminals, a group of young people, led by a somewhat sadistic yet brilliant “director”, perform Satanic rites to raise the dead.

The group of actors and wannabe filmmakers, a mix of thrill-seekers and skeptics, counter-culturalists, tech-heads and creatives, are all in some way seeking fame and recognition under the hope that their egomaniacal leader can deliver his promise of a super-natural occurrence to usher them into worldly notice. Their effort is documented through their various internet connected devices, streaming the spectacle for all to see.

The ritual does indeed work…much to their surprise. But the dead are not back to serve their will, they are bloodthirsty and are seeking more souls to join the damned in hell.

An excerpt from the interview:

“I’m staying close to the original in terms of plot and, more or less, the characters,” Schuermann tells us. “The modern angle comes in with the addition of the Internet and social media influence. In my version, a group of young, independent filmmakers are staging an on-line promotional event on Halloween in a cemetery for maximum-security convicts. There is a big twist as to the type of prison it is, but I probably shouldn’t mention that just yet! In the original, it was a little vague as to why the characters were doing what they were. I make that very clear this time.”

Treatment and character descriptions...

NOTE: The actors listed in these character descriptions have NOT been cast in this film, but are presented here as an example to help visualize basics traits and looks. Final casting will likely vary.

Creature design concepts...

Sample trading card concepts...

As an example of the marketing potential of individually characteristic creatures, these fun "Prison Cards" with corresponding concept sketches were created. Each character has a unique assassination method as described in their "prison record". CLICK TO ENLARGE