With filming now wrapped on Puppet Master reboot Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich, we can get our first look at three of the film’s demonic toys, which were on display at the Texas Frightmare Weekend. Sat between newly redesigned versions of the familiar Blade and Tunneler is a weird frog-clown puppet, which will no doubt be far less jolly than it looks. The puppets were designed and created by award-winning SFX artist Tate Steinsiek (The Amazing Spider-Man, Knock Knock).
In the film, “…a recently divorced young man discovers a mint condition Blade doll in his deceased brother’s closet and plans to sell the toy at a convention in Texas celebrating the 30th anniversary of the infamous Toulon Murders. All hell breaks loose at during the auction when a strange force animates all of the various puppets throughout the convention as they go on a bloody killing spree.”
It was announced in March that the great Barbara Crampton – who had a small part in the original Puppet Master in 1989 – will appear in the reboot. She joins Thomas Lennon (Monster Trucks) Charlyne Yi (Knocked Up), Nelson Franklin (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), feature newcomer Jenny Pellicer and horror/exploitation legend Udo Kier (Suspiria, Flesh for Frankenstein, Blade).
The Littlest Reich will expand the Puppet Master series’ mythology, kicking off a whole new universe with multiple plot strands. Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund – who directed the superb, Evil Dead-esque Wither – are directing, with a script penned by Bone Tomahawk writer/director S. Craig Zahler.
Words: Kevan Farrow (@KevanX)