Professional Motion Picture Production and Distribution NEWS

Legendary Horror Film Producer Charles Band to Direct Puppet Master X: Axis Rising, Offers Fans an Executive Producer Credit

By StudentFilmmakers.com
posted Feb 15, 2012, 09:54

(Los Angeles, CA) -- Since the series' inception in 1989, the "Puppet Master" films have been produced by Charles Band. Now, for the very first time in Full Moon Features' most enduring franchise, Band will take the director's seat himself with "Puppet Master X: Axis Rising." With Band finally at the helm, the film is expected to be the most anticipated chapter yet in the Puppet Master saga. But he isn't the only one taking a more active role this time.

Full Moon Features is giving the public an opportunity to be a part of the action and see their own names listed on-screen as Executive Producers during the credits of the film. The offer will be available for the first time during Full Moon's Annual 50% Off Valentine's Day Sale at www.fullmoondirect.com, from February 10th through February 15th.

"PM X: Axis Rising," the tenth film in the Puppet Master series, heralds the return of many classic puppet characters, including the cult horror icon, Blade. It is a direct follow-up to the series' previous entry, "Puppet Master: Axis of Evil," which was shot in Guangzhou, China. Set in Berlin during World War II, "PM X: Axis Rising" continues the storyline of "Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge," widely regarded as one of the best in the franchise.

"Puppet Master X: Axis Rising" begins production later in 2012, and will be filmed in Los Angeles. To achieve the look of the film's pint-sized characters, Full Moon Features has gone to painstaking efforts to re-sculpt each of the puppets from scratch. Those used in "PM X: Axis Rising" will be the most accurate recreations of the infamous characters seen in the last decade.

Historically, Full Moon Features has introduced a single new puppet character with each film. "Puppet Master X: Axis Rising" promises to raise the bar with the addition of four new villain puppets going head-to-head against Blade, Jester, Pinhead, Leech Woman and Tunneler. The first of the new characters announced, Blitzkrieg, a tank with attitude, was made public in December 2011. Bombshell, a character largely reminiscent of the titular Nazi exploitation role in "Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS," has been in the works for close to seventeen years. Originally hinted at in the unused script titled "Puppet Wars," Full Moon confirmed the character's debut with photos revealed in January 2012. The remaining two are expected to be confirmed in late February and March 2012, respectively.

2012 promises to be an exciting year for Full Moon Features and its fans. Encouraging everyone to get involved, Full Moon plans to launch a brand new campaign on the popular crowdsourcing site, www.kickstarter.com. The project will feature multiple tiers, providing enticing rewards for contributors of the upcoming film. The top tier reward offers the unique chance to visit the set of "PM X: Axis Rising" and observe the production process firsthand.

Near the E entrance at booth #4013, Full Moon Features has been a mainstay of Comic-Con for the last decade, and this year will be no different. With the San Diego event approaching in July, Full Moon has confirmed their attendance and hinted at several exclusive releases that will be announced as Comic-Con approaches. Boasting a set of never-before-produced replica puppets, fans will finally be able to take home their favorite characters from Retro-Puppet Master, including Cyclops, Drill Sergeant and Dr. Death. A preview of these replicas is available on www.fullmoondirect.com as of today, Februrary 10th, 2012, and more new replicas will be revealed later in 2012.

Since the late 70s and early 80s, Charles Band, son of the late producer/director Albert Band ("Troll," "TerrorVision" and "Honey, I Blew Up The Kid"), has been known for producing and directing low-budget, direct-to-video horror, sci-fi and fantasy films making him a cult film icon. In addition to films, Full Moon is home to a successful merchandise line of toys and other memorabilia. For the past five years, the Full Moon Horror Road Show, a stage extravaganza featuring a mix of film clips, music, auctions, comedy and outrageous costumes, has traveled the country to over 100 cities to rave reviews.





Resources:

www.fullmoondirect.com