Director M. Night Shyamalan has partnered with Jason Blum of Bloomhouse Productions in order to produce a self-financed, low budget project he had been keeping under wraps. The film, called The Visit, is intended as a return to his earlier work and to productions outside the ‘traditional’ studio system.

The Visit concerns a brother and sister visiting their grandparents’ isolated Pennsylvania farm. Eventually, the youngsters discover the seniors are keeping a dark secret and it quickly becomes apparent to the children they may not be going home.

The Visit was written, directed and self financed by Shyamalan and shot near the director’s Pennsylvania home. The partnership with Blumhouse Productions allowed for a first-look arrangement with Universal and the company specialized in low budget genre pictures. Blumhouse’s most recent successful production was Ouija.

M. Night Shyamalan produced the film with Blum and Marc Bienstock, with Steven Schneider and Ashwin Rajan executive producing.

Universal Pictures has set September 11, 2015 as the release date.

Prison guard Jordy comes up to a girl at a sorority house, saying that he’d like to secure their doors and windows as a precaution, even if Carroll was already caught. She lets him in, and he suggests that they start in a room at the end of the hallway.

Jordy tells the girl he has studied the house a lot, and pulls out a bag that he threw up there earlier. He calls it his “kit”, and says that it is important to have the right tools. He has been planning this for a long time, and lunges at the girl.

Denise (real name Emma Hill) and the two “gay” neighbors (real names Jacob Wells and Paul Torres) arrive at a house with Claire’s son Joey. She has told Joey that they are on an adventure, and his mother said not to call her.

Hardy is introduced to agent Deborah Parker, the new lead in the investigation. The old lead has been moved off the case for leaving Hardy alone with Carroll in the interrogation room, which led to Hardy breaking three of Carroll’s fingers.

Parker is questioning Hardy about his past when they are informed that there has been another murder. They arrive at the sorority house to find that 3 girls have been killed. The killer was very sloppy, and they are able to determine that is was Jordy based on all the fingerprints.

It was a strong weekend for Wreck-It Ralph as the Disney animated feature brought in half a million during its opening frame. However, before we get to that some house cleaning from last week.

We missed out on an opportunity to celebrate Argo‘s rise to the number one spot last weekend. Ben Affleck’s film had a solid debut, but it was on the low-end of expectations. In the weeks following, Argo has been holding incredibly well for a movie that is playing on so many screens. Culminating in finally taking the top spot last weekend in an otherwise weak weekend.

How did it do this weekend? Well since it wasn’t number one again you will have to wait to find out. The winner this weekend was Wreck-It Ralph, another Disney animated feature that proves there is still some magic left in the mouse house proper. Coming out with nearly $50 Million, Ralph managed one of Disney’s biggest animated openings. Of course even those lofty numbers pale in comparison to the PIXAR average, but from the studios that brought us Home on the Range, this is great business.

A&E is setting up a new series that will serve as a prequel to Hitchcock’s classic Psycho. The new show, Bates Motel, will attempt to tell the tale of how young Norman went from mama’s boy to psychopathic killer and the show has just cast its Norma Bates.

The news comes from Deadline which is reporting that academy award nominated actress Vera Farmiga is set to take on the role:

[Bates Motel] examines the twisted relationship between serial killer-to-be Norman Bates and his mother Norma. Farmiga will play Norma Louise Bates who is described as passionate, and compelling, a smart, multidimensional character who is always capable of surprising us. The Universal TV-produced Bates Motel has a 10-episode straight-to-series order for a 2013 premiere.

Between Bates Motel and Hannibal, it looks like TV execs are very interested in using the TV format to explore the unexplored pasts of some of cinema’s greatest killers. Hopefully the long form nature of a TV series will provide a better venue to tell these tales as opposed to prequel movies that have thus far been very uninspired.

The good news is A&E does have faith in the show as they already ordered it straight to series with out the need for a pilot. So it will have more of a chance to tell its tale sans the ratings pressure that Hannibal will feel over at NBC.

Keep tuned to The Flickcast for more news from the impending series as it gears toward production.

Nicholas Cage is a strange film entity. He has developed a manic energy that can be harnessed into compelling work by the right filmmakers. Of course in the hands of the wrong filmmakers he is just all over the place in a crazy mess.

Usually a good sign of what type of Cage performance you are going to get can be found in the supporting cast around him. Deadline has scored the first look at some stills from his newest movie complete with a few of his fellow cast-mates:

The movie written and directed by Scott Walker revolves around Alaska’s most notorious serial predator Robert Hansen (Cusack), who in the span of 12 years abducted more than 24 women, flew them into the Alaskan wilderness, and hunted and murdered them. Hudgens plays the one teenage victim who escaped, and Cage plays the Alaskan State Trooper who finds her on the street — together they work to bring Hansen to justice.

Sounds a little like Kiss the Girls, but given the true story angle and Alaska setting this should stand well enough on its own. What is most interesting about this film is the almost against type roles for both Cage and Cusack. This could be a nice change of pace for both actors.