Ah, Hollywood—a town of dreams, stardom, and sometimes, hidden nightmares. Enter Mike Fleiss, a producer whose repertoire includes horror hits like “Hostel” and “Shark Night.” In fact, this guy’s IMDb credits are so lengthy they could rival the queue outside an In-N-Out Burger on a Friday night. Fleiss has amassed a varied portfolio that also includes action-adventure films like “Poseidon” and even documentaries like “The Other One: The Long, Strange Trip of Bob Weir.” How does one even have the time?
Now, Fleiss is embarking on a horror project that’s also a family affair. His latest film, “Possessions,” involves a partnership with his attorney-cum-producer son, Aaron. Talk about keeping it in the family. They’ve teamed up with Yeardley Smith’s Paperclip, another producer who wears multiple hats—actress and voice of Lisa Simpson. Ah, Lisa, who is somehow still in the second grade after 30-plus years.
“Possessions” is slated to be a chiller, revolving around a widower and his young son who get embroiled in a haunting saga after taking over a storage facility. Yep, you read it right. We’re stretching beyond haunted houses and delving into the horror of, uh, storage units. Creative? Absolutely. Risky? You betcha.
The family angle doesn’t stop there. Fleiss and son are also revealing that a television adaptation of the “Hostel” franchise is underway. No more waiting in a dark theater to get scared out of your wits—now you can do it in the comfort of your own living room. The international appeal of the original trilogy assures that this TV version will likely have a vast audience. Let’s just say that the family that scares together, stays together.
Fleiss’s portfolio underscores the constantly evolving landscape of horror entertainment, proving that there’s no shortage of ways to scare the heck out of people, whether it’s via Hollywood blockbusters or chilling tales via a flat-screen TV. All this as he raises the next generation of Hollywood producers. So, the horror torch is passed down, ensuring that the scares keep coming for audiences worldwide.
I’m betting this family doesn’t go for the conventional movie nights at home. Nope, for the Fleisses, creating horror is a family bonding exercise. And while we’re at it, let’s not ignore the genius of blending a scary story with the universal dread of storage units. It’s like “Hoarders” meeting “The Exorcist.” You can almost hear the pitch meeting—’It’s where domestic clutter meets unspeakable evil!’ Visit TV Guide for more info.