This is not a drill, horror fans: The team behind Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is getting back together to make a new movie. You read that right. As reported by Deadline, director John McNaughton is getting back in the saddle with Michael Rooker attached to star in a new film titled Road Rage. The plan is to make this the first in a series of films, assuming the first one goes well.
Tim Perell is on board to produce the film for Process Media. So, what is Road Rage about, exactly? Per the report, the film “will center on a serial killer who only kills those who deserve to die—presenting a modern hero who is a bad guy gone good, protecting the innocent and punishing the guilty.” A really interesting note is that the producers are already looking to make a tie-in video game, signaling they have a lot of confidence in the idea. McNaughton had this to say about it in a statement:
“I’d wanted to work with Michael Rooker again since, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, but we never got the chance. Finally, I wrote a story that took the genre in a whole new direction. Michael Rooker as Stony; he drives a truck… and kills people. Stony is the ultimate serial killer… with a twist, and he’s going home now after twenty years to settle a score from the past.”
Perell had this to add:
“With Road Rage, John McNaughton and Michael Rooker aim once again to create a transgressive and shocking film that will exist at the cutting edge of art and genre. As Henry was ahead of its time, so Road Rage will be ahead of this time; both a disturbing and exhilarating reflection of contemporary American culture.”
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer originally made the rounds on the festival circuit in 1986 but, due to its brutal nature, had difficulty finding a distributor. Still, its reputation helped launch the careers of both McNaughton and Rooker, who have since had successful careers that diverted from one another but are now intersecting once again. Rooker has been part of major franchises such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Fast & Furious in recent years, in addition to his work on the early seasons of AMC’s The Walking Dead. Some of his other notable genre work includes Slither and The Belko Experiment.
Meanwhile, McNaughton has worked steadily over the years in film and TV. Some of his credits include Wild Things, The Borrower, and Homicide: Life on the Street. It is worth noting that Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Part II was released in 1996, but it was directed by Chuck Parello and didn’t involve McNaughton or Rooker in any capacity.
Road Rage does not yet have a release date set.
