EXCLUSIVE: Never, ever think of holding a Z-grade movie franchise down.
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is alive again with a fifth movie, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence, from filmmaker David Ferino.
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence is billed as “pitting the eternal power of nature against AI’s best and brightest.”
The original movie was released in 1978. Made for $100,000, it was produced by J. Stephen Peace and John DeBello. DeBello directed the pic based on an original idea by Costa Dillon in a story about mutated killer tomatoes that torment the globe as a group of scientists try to fend them off.
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Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence features a string of comedy stars and thespians including David Koechner (Anchorman franchise) as the U.S. president’s Press Secretary; and John Astin (Gomez from the original Addams Family and European Vacation) reprising his role from previous AOTKT movies, as well as the Fox animated series, of Professor Nicholas Mortimer Gangreen. There’s also Veep‘s Dan Bakkedahl as the ubiquitous Wilbur Finletter, Daniel Roebuck (The Munsters, The Fugitive) as the admiral burdened by 50 years of burying the truth, Catherine Corcoran (Terrifier, Return to Nuke ’Em High) as the rampage’s first victim, Paul Bates (Coming to America) as a loopy “disguise expert,” and Vernee Watson (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) as a tech specialist whose down-home instincts anchor the team of “Tomato Guardians.”
Everett Collection
There’s also Runaway Train Oscar nominee Eric Roberts joining in along with Myrna Velasca (Star Wars: Resistance) and Noor Razooky (The Old Man). Zachary Roozen (Romeo and Juliet Killers, Bring the Law) stars as Chad, first portrayed by Anthony Starke who played opposite George Clooney in Return of the Killer Tomatoes.
Also starring is Samantha Bailey (The Listening) as Kate Patel, “genius” CEO of VegIntel and inventor of “MyTomato” – the “O.I.” solution to all the fears that AI can’t fix, as well as Joshua Poon (Bad Boys, Your Place or Mine) who ensures that the world experiences every slimy moment as The Influencer.
Ferino (Wardcliffe, Nocturnally Yours) was tapped to direct by EPs and scribes Dillon and Peace.
The Attack of the Tomatoes franchise spawned three sequels (Return of the Killer Tomatoes, Killer Tomatoes Strike Back and Killer Tomatoes Eat France) along with the Fox Network’s Attack of the Killer Tomatoes animated TV series in the early 1990s.
W. Finletter Films and Killer Tomatoes Entertainment partnered with Atomic Toybox Entertainment (Michael Polis) and IVC/Olas Media (Chad Peace, Juan Hernandez and Anthony Aslofi) to oversee production with Polis and Roger M. Mayer producing.
Anchor Bay Entertainment is handling distribution, building on the cult and genre cinema buzz off its
Abruptio, the all-puppet horror feature starring Jordan Peele and Sid Haig.
For Attack, there are plans for a limited theatrical release timed to this Halloween.
“This time, they’re not just back. They’re organically intelligent,” said Dillon.
“We are just going to keep trying until we get it right,” added Peace.
“This is nuts,” quipped Ferino. “I have to work with these guys.”
“We’re proud to be bringing back a franchise with this much cultural DNA,” said Thomas Zambeck, CEO of Anchor Bay. “Organic Intelligence is fresh, funny, weird, and self-aware — just the kind of beautifully chaotic project that fits our mission. Killer Tomatoes are ripe for reinvention.”
Talk about a commitment to shoot movies in California: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence was shot in Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego.
Editor’s note: David Ferino is a Deadline Hollywood alum.
Content shared from deadline.com.