Bone Orchard
Pitch
"Do not fear death; fear the dead!"... Ancient Chinese Proverb
This tale of vampires in the Old West brings together two staples of American cinema, the gun-toting Western and the vampire Horror flick, in a fun and exciting adventure in the vein of John Landis’ iconic classic American Werewolf In London.
Synopsis
Marked for death in their home state of Texas, twenty-something brother and sister due Deacon and Cree Corley – gunslingers both; one a cold-blooded killer, ride one night into the Old West town of Bone Orchard to escape their old lives and lay low.
But Bone Orchard isn’t your run of the mill town: Desperately trying to build the Transcontinental Railroad, the train company employs “Coolies” – Chinese immigrants slaving away in the train tunnels. Mistreated by their employers, the Coolies summon Jiong Zhao – an ancient Chinese vampire to extract their revenge. But Jiong Zhao escapes, killing her captors and turning them into mindless zombies; all but Jin Shi – a Coolie teen. With Jin as her unwilling accomplice, the vampire unleashes her bloody vengeance upon the town.
Blamed for the deaths Jiong Zhao caused, Cree is put in prison just as the relentless Texas Ranger Manny rides into town, intent on bringing Cree back for justice. But that night Bone Orchard erupts with the rise from the dead as Jiong Zhao tears through the town. This forces an uneasy alliance between the only survivors: The ranger, Deacon and the Scottish barmaid Maddie. Though enemies any other day, only through pooling their abilities will this group survive the night and rescue both Cree and Jin.
About
Taking the claustrophobia of a vampire flick such as 30 Days of Night and setting it in the Old West adds a new dimension to the vampire film sub-genre. Utilizing legendary director John Landis’ whit and eye for action, this high concept blockbuster has the potential to bring the horror/adventure genre in to the 21st century in a genre redefining francise that could rival Pirates of the Caribbean.
“Bone Orchard offers me a terrific opportunity to make a frightening and fun movie. It's combination of elements ranging from Western to Vampire action is only made even more entertaining by the fact that the Vampires originate in China allowing me to explore a true clash of cultures, values and violence. I look forward to casting and directing this truly entertaining and original movie.”
John Landis (directing credits include: American Werewolf in London, Blues Brothers, Animal House)
Status: Packaging, script schedule available
Writer: Matthew Presley
Director: John Landis
Genre: Vampire Western
