Thorns director Douglas Schulze, who has guided the likes of John Saxon, David Carradine, Richard Lynch, Dee Wallace, Sid Haig and Lance Henriksen, previously shared with FANGORIA, “There’s a short list of iconic actors I’ve always wanted to work with, and Doug Bradley is near the top of that list. He brings a sense of authenticity to every role he plays—such a commanding screen presence. I felt he was the perfect choice to play a holy man obsessed with biblical prophecy. Between takes, we’d discuss one of the film’s driving themes: predestination vs. free will. We also chatted about author Lewis Carroll and the impetus for Alice in Wonderland, and his time working with Clive Barker, whose work I’m a huge fan of.”
Let’s take a look at the synopsis for Thorns:
The story centers on an ex-priest working for NASA who is sent to investigate a remote observatory that went silent after receiving a radio signal from deep space. Upon arrival, he discovers the signal has set in motion the biblical end of times. The former priest must now summon his lost faith to stop the signal from spreading hell on Earth.
With an emphasis on old-school practical effects and gore, Bradley appears as “a mysterious archbishop” in the film. Schulze cites Carpenter and Clive Barker as sources of inspiration, “The intention was to make a ‘monster’ movie as a kind of homage to the great horror cinema of the ’70s and ’80s. John Carpenter’s The Thing, Ridley Scott’s Alien, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist and, of course, Clive Barker’s Hellraiser were all inspiring.”
And speaking of Hellraiser, we have your first look at some exclusive photos of Doug Bradley in the role of “mysterious archbishop,” along with a bit of guts for good measure. Schulze also expressed this is only the beginning, “Thorns was conceived as three stories about the biblical apocalypse and I’m hoping to have the opportunity to work with Doug again in the near future.” In the meantime, take a look at the exclusive photos below.
With Thorns in the can, the movie will spend most of this year on the horror film festival circuit, followed by a limited theatrical, VOD, and disc releases.
