Horror icon, Jeffrey Combs, best known for his roles in the Re-Animator franchise and most recently Michael Leavy's Stream, is set to star in Mystery of the Mothman, a creature-feature about the notorious Mothman, a cryptid of North American Folklore. The film will mark the feature length debut of Canadian director, Austin Birtch, best known for his short horror films, Giant Skeleton and Paws.
According to Variety, Mystery of the Mothman aims to explore the bizarre events surrounding the 1967 Silver Bridge Collapse in Point Pleasant, West Virginia with Combs set to play Adam Lubin, "the only paranormal investigator left in Point Pleasant after the Silver Bridge collapse. His character is the anchor to the Mothman folklore in the film, tying the narrative to the legend's origins."
As an avid fan of Jeffrey Combs, I can't wait to see him return to our screens. He always brings an intensity to each of his roles that I thoroughly enjoy, even in his more comedic performances. His facial expressions and the familiar cadence of his voice have become a staple of his acting career. His versatility and his willingness to just have fun with every role he plays has given Combs a certain quality that just makes him feel as timeless as Vincent Price. I think making him one of the focal points of Mystery of the Mothman will not only draw older fans who loved Combs' work in the 80s, but new fans too.
Mothman has played a large and lasting role in the American mythos. A cryptid that has plagued the shadows of Point Pleasant, West Virginia since 1966, it's been described as a humanoid creature with glowing red eyes and large wings. Similar to the likes of Bigfoot and Champ, Mothman is one of the most popular cryptids in North America. Point Pleasant even holds an annual festival and has erected a statue (seen above) in what's supposed to be the Mothman's likeness. While there's never been any definitive proof of the Mothman's existence, thousands of tourists and paranormal investigators flock to the woods of West Virginia to see if they can get a glimpse of the cryptid.
While Mothman's popularity has in a lot of ways demystified the cryptid, the shadowy elements and the tragedy of the Silver Bridge collapse surrounding its origins is ripe for the horror genre. Austin Birtch promises an old school creature feature with practical effects, stating, “Working with executive producer and creature effects artist Steven Kostanski, we’re aiming to create a genuinely terrifying practical Mothman that feels ripped out of a ’70s creature feature – something fans of the cryptid have been longing for for years,”
As a big fan of practical monsters and the lean into the strange horror surrounding the Mothman, I'm excited to see what Mystery of the Mothman has to offer. While there have been smaller movies, this film will mark the return of the cryptid to the silver screen since 2002's The Mothman Prophecies. I hope it will also mark the return of making cryptids creepy again and I look forward to learning more about the project as it progresses!
Be sure to come back for more details!