In April 2014 I was delighted to report that a new horror-thriller titled Eloise was in production around the Michigan area. I was even more delighted to report that Eloise would star genre actress Eliza Dushku. Fans of horror and science fiction will recognize Eliza Dushku for playing Faith on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” as well as playing the lead in “Tru Calling,” “Dollhouse” and franchise starter Wrong Turn. Well, it’s been over a year now since the announcement, ten months since the film went into post-production, and I’ve yet to see a single promotional photo or teaser clip; although, cast members tweeted tons of behind the scenes photos during principal photography from May to June 2014. So, what gives?
Eloise made headlines in local papers around Detroit for two reasons. First, there was a lot of money to be made – the budget of Eloise being projected at somewhere around $3,000,000 – and the economic boost provided full time jobs for over 51 residents. Secondly, Eloise was shot on location at the real life Eloise Insane Asylum, so it already had a rich, built in history to reel in viewers. And let me not forget to mention that Eloise has a remarkable crop of lead and supporting talent including Chace Crawford (The Covenant, “Gossip Girl”), Robert Patrick (“Scorpion,” Terminator 2), Brandon T. Jackson (“Californication,” Percy Jackson), Nicole Forester (“Chicago Fire,” “Guiding Light”), P.J. Byrne (Final Destination 5, “The Game”), Martin Klebba (Feast, “Scrubs”) and Ricky Wayne (Haunted High, “The Walking Dead”).
I’m hoping that Eloise doesn’t go the way of 7500, the supernatural-thriller starring Ryan Kwanten that sat unreleased for almost three years before being released everywhere but in The United States. Often in Hollywood, executives get bored of titles they already put effort into or begin to loose confidence in the product. Look at the upcoming Amityville Horror movie, that’s already gotten delayed three times now. Strangely, though, a glance over IMDB.com shows me that Eloise has a rumored premiere date set for October 15, 2015 in Chile? Now, anyone with a Pro account can edit an IMDB page, but maybe it’s possible that the distributor is going to roll this baby out in time for Halloween?
With an Oscar Winning director, Robert Legato, a modest budget, tons of credited talent and a real life story centered around an insane asylum, it would be stupid to let Eloise sit on a shelf somewhere in collect dust. Eliza Dushku fans are rabid, and I know I speak for all of us when I say – We want to see this movie!
