Jim Carrey, Eli Roth Teaming for Horror Movie 'Aleister Arcane'

‘Aleister Arcane’ No. 1 (IDW)

By Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter

The IDW comic, published in 2004, told the story of a Los Angeles weatherman who returns to his hometown to host a midnight horror show.

Jim Carrey and Eli Roth are teaming to adapt Aleister Arcane, a comic book from horrormeister Steve Niles.

Amblin Entertainment has picked up the package as a pitch that includes Jon Croker, the scribe behind The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death, attached to pen the script, with David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman of Mandeville Films producing along with Michael Aguilar. Carrey will star in and executive produce the project.

Aleister Arcane, published in 2004, told the story of a Los Angeles weatherman named Aleister Green who returns to his hometown to host a midnight horror show à la Elvira. Under the guise of a mad scientist named Aleister Arcane, Green performed little skits until the local sponsors balked at the gore. An incident with two kids leads to him to be put on trial, breaking his spirit and into an early grave. Not long after, grisly activities begin to occur and only the kids have the power to thwart the curse he has laid upon their town.

The comic was illustrated by Breehn Burns.

The adaptation was initially set up at Paramount in 2004, but the rights lapsed.

Jim Carrey; Eli Roth (Jason LaVeris; Getty Images)

The move continues Roth’s path towards working with big-name actors. The filmmaker gained a loyal following for his horror movies such as Cabin Fever and the Hostel franchise but those movies were not star-driven. That changed with last year’s Knock Knock, Roth’s thriller that starred Keanu Reeves. He just inked a deal that will see him direct Bruce Willis in MGM’s remake of Death Wish.

Carey last starred in Dumb and Dumber To, in which he reprised his popular comedic character Lloyd. The actor has a pair of movies in the can, among which is a horror movie from Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home at Night) titled The Bad Batch.

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Carrey also is serving as an executive producer on the upcoming Showtime series I’m Dying Up Here, which explores the 1970s L.A. comedy scene.

Mandeville is in postproduction on the live-action musical remake of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and is prepping to shoot the adaptation of YA novel Wonder with Julia Roberts and Jacob Tremblay.

Carrey and Roth are repped by WME. Carrey is additionally repped by Jimmy Miller/Mosaic and attorney Deborah Klein.

Niles is repped by APA and Loeb & Loeb.