Hail Halloween-Heads: Dark Harvest big screen adaptation set for 2021

MGM will release the big screen adaptation of Norman Partridge’s horror novel Dark Harvest on Sept. 24, 2021.

Dark Harvest , the big screen adaptation of Norman Partridge’s award winning horror novel will be in theaters on Sept. 24, 2021 according to Deadline.  David Slade (Hard Candy, 30 Days of Night, Black Mirror) is attached to direct with Matt Tolmach and David Manpearl (Jumanji: The Next Level) producing.

The story, which was published by MacMillian, was named one of the 100 best books of 2006 by Publisher’s Weekly and won the coveted Bram Stoker Award for Best Long Fiction that same year. There’s a lot to be excited for with this announcement, but possibly the most exciting news is that David Slade will be taking the directorial lead. The accomplished storyteller is known by horror fans for delivering twisted-filled indie favorites like Hard Candy and pitch perfect adaptations like 2007’s 30 Days of Night.

It’s not just Slade’s film work that makes him such a good fit for Dark Harvest. If anything the story’s weird antagonist and shocking twists feel more like a spiritual sister to the director’s work on Black Mirror.

To date, Slade has helmed two episodes of the perennially disturbing Netflix show. The episode, “Metalhead,” from S04 E05, follows a woman in post-apocalyptic Scotland as she struggles to outmaneuver robotic guard “dogs.” But it’s Slade’s mind-bending work on Black Mirror’s interactive film Bandersnatch that seals the deal for me.

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Most creators would have started small when setting out to make the first mainstream interactive movie, but Slade and writer Charlie Brooker shot for the moon and stuck the landing.The film not only allowed for seamless audience interaction but it also featured a compelling plot, empathetic characters, and thought-provoking themes. While it’s unlikely the midcentury, rural thrills of Dark Harvest will lend themselves to audience participation, it’s clear Slade isn’t afraid to think outside the box. And with a film about an anthropomorphic pumpkin-headed creature, you need a director who’s not afraid of risks.

The real question with any film is, “Will it please the fans?” And if the movie ends up being anything like its source material, there’s a chance we could have a new classic on our hands.

While most genre fans have a special place in their heart for the high holy day of horror, there is a particular type of horror-lover who should mark this release date on their calendars: the Halloween-Head.

You’ve seen the type. Heck, if you’re reading this, you probably are the type. These are the folks who do their home decor shopping at Spirit Halloween and are never without a hint of orange and black. These are the “autumn people,” as Ray Bradbury said. The ones who feel a chill on their necks and know that an All Hallow’s Eve thrill is on its heels.

Check back soon for more Dark Harvest news. 

Have you read Dark Harvest? Are you looking forward to seeing it on the big screen? Let us know in the comments.