Former Disney stars are giving fans a fresh take on the horror subgenre "Screen Life." There have been a ton of genre innovations in the last handful of years. In particular, the found-footage subgenre of horror has seen a new kind of story, the "screenlife" film, take on a disturbing form as a byproduct of the pandemic era. Now, as reported exclusively by Variety, there's a new LGBTQ+-centric film from this modern subgenre titled Howdy, Neighbor! From director Allison Snyder and writer Matthew Scott Montgomery.
Debbie Ryan
Both Snyder and Montgomery have worked on the popular sketch comedy series So Random! are Disney Channel students, but that's just the tip of the iceberg here. The film will feature a major Disney reunion. Along with Montgomery in the title role, the film also stars Debbie Ryan (Suite Life on Deck, Jessie), Allison Stoner (Camp Rock, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody), Shine Top (So Random!, The Goldbergs). Kevin Chamberlin (Jesse), Tim Bagley (Shake It Up!, Raven's Home), and Damian Haas (So Random!). The cast also includes Sterling Solomon, Adam Faison, Greer Grammer, Grant Jordan, and Kimmy Shields.
Debbie Ryan
The horror thriller will be produced by Snyder, Montgomery, and Exit Strategy's Charles M. Barsamin. Along with an exit strategy, Watch the Footage, a production company founded by Snyder and her husband Dylan Snyder (Kickin' It!), will produce the project.
What to expect from this unique angle film, The Plot of Howdy, Neighbor! as follows:
Montgomery plays Benjamin, a young millennial living in West Hollywood who was once a famous child actor. When a new neighbor Chase (Jordan) moves in across the hall and reveals himself as a fan, Benjamin begins to investigate the strangely familiar man with his best friend Harley (Ryan). .
Debbie Ryan
All the footage of the film will be on computer screens, hence the name "Screen Life". Found footage is a subgenre that has been around for decades, but this particular take on the subgenre helped bring a fresh perspective to an obviously tired plot device. Films like Unfriended and Host are two of the most underrated modern horror films in the format, and Howdy, Neighbor! It looks like it has a lot to offer this kind of story.
Debbie Ryan
In detail, there's definitely a reason why most of this cast hail from childhood stardom. It looks like the film will be a horror story that will overcome some of the downsides of being a child star on a channel like Disney or Nickelodeon. Everyone in this cast is steeped in that culture, so it will be interesting to see what the stars can pull from their pasts to better inform this story. Some of the behind-the-scenes stories that have recently surfaced about former Disney Channel shows can be considered terrifying in their own right.
Debbie Ryan
Each of these actors has their own kind of horror story to bring to this production—which makes the set-up of this film so compelling. It has the potential to really challenge how companies like Disney treat their child stars by touching on the trauma these stars deal with that reality. It will also be interesting to see how found footage and LGBTQ+ themes play into the overall narrative.
Debbie Ryan
Debbie Ryan
Debbie Ryan
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