Shout! Studios Nabs Reboot of Roger Corman’s Cult ‘Deathstalker’

In one of the widest-ranging deals to close in the runup to next week’s 78th Locarno Film Festival, Shout! Studios, a Radial Entertainment company, has acquired exclusive distribution rights in English-language territories to Steven Kostanski’s “Deathstalker,” a reboot of Roger Corman’s cult film series.

“Deathstalker” stars Daniel Bernhardt (“John Wick,” “The Matrix Reloaded”) as the titular hero, playing him more as a grizzled war veteran, as he has commented, than the buff young heroes of the originals. Patton Oswalt (“Young Adult,” “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire”) provides the voice of Doodad, a benevolent wizened wizard.

The deal follows on Shout! Studios’ release of Kostanski’s “Frankie Freako” in 2024.
Made in Argentina, producer Corman’s first sword and sorcery “Deathstalker”movie, enjoying a tailwind from “Conan the Barbarian,” was a hit at the U.S. box office. “Deathstalker II” has been hailed as the greatest B-movie ever made.

2025’s “Deathstalker”’s fantasy plot is in line with the originals: the Kingdom of Abraxeon lies under siege by the Dreadites, who are looking to resucitate the long-dead sorcerer Nekromemnon, which would spell Abraxeon’s annihilation. Taking a cursed amulet from a dead Prince on a battlefield, Deathstalker teams with Doodad to rid himself of the medallion as he’s marked by dark magick and hunted by monstrous assassins.

But, as the originals were Corman’s, “Deathstalker” 2025 is as much a movie very much made by Kostanski, whose credits also include “The Void” and “PG: Psycho Goreman.” Certainly not a B-movie, Kostanski’s film takes the sometimes appreciable SFX of the original and ups the ante and fantasy setting in a celebration of practical effects, ranging, just in its early stretches, from a fanged harpy faced drone to a two-headed troll, a stone robot, man-eating snakes and a PigMan, the creature suits, prosthetic FX make-up and stop-motion animation coming courtesy of Kostanski’s Action Pants FX shop.

The multi-territory distribution deal was made with Raven Banner Entertainment, which handles worldwide sales, bringing “Deathstalker” onto the market at Cannes 2024. The Shout! Studios-Raven Banner pact takes in theatrical, home entertainment rights (digital, video-on-demand, broadcast, and physical media) and ancillary rights for cross-platform releases. Shout! Studios plans a strategic launch of the movie across all major entertainment platforms, starting with a U.S. theatrical release later this year following the film’s festival run. Raven Banner Releasing will release in Canada day and date with Shout!, Shout! said in a statement Thursday.

“Deathstalker” is the latest reimagining from director Kostanski and Hangar 18 Media who acquired the rights from Shout! Studios, which owns Roger Corman IP. Shout! Studios has several additional Corman projects in active development, it added.

“Steve is one of the most fiercely creative filmmakers working today and his love for this IP and genre oozes from every frame,” said Radial Entertainment’s SVP of Acquisitions and Originals Jordan Fields.  “‘Deathstalker’ is catnip for fans of the Dungeons and Dragons staples — thrilling battles, sly humor, offbeat creatures and thoughtful lore. Daniel Bernhardt is pitch perfect in a role he was born to play. Roger Corman would have marveled at what Steve, Daniel and Hangar 18 have accomplished here, and we predict the film will earn a devoted following very quickly.”

“We grew up on a steady diet of Roger Corman movies, especially ‘Deathstalker II.’ These films were the inspiration for Raven Banner,” said Michael Paszt of Raven Banner. “To be a part of reimagining one of his most outrageously entertaining sword & sorcery classics with Steven Kostanski at the helm, Daniel Bernhardt, Pasha at Hangar 18 along with Slash & Rodrigo, our partners at BerserkerGang, is a total dream come true for us. Fans are in store for a wild ride of monsters, magic, and mayhem.”

Also written by Kostanski, “Deathstalker” is produced by Pasha Patriki of Hangar 18 Media and Raven Banner’s Paszt, Andrew Thomas Hunt and James Fler.  Slash and Rodrigo Gudino serve as executive producers under the BerserkerGang label. 

The film’s executive producers also include Daniel Bernhardt, Avi Federgreen, Peter Kuplowsky, Joshua Viola, Michael Paul Vasicek, Max Hensgen, Kevin Dickel, Klayton (“Celldweller”), Kevin the Ghost, Dave McGrath, Tom Biolchini, David Bond, Juan Pablo Reinoso, John Moss, Julie Dansker, Garson Foos, Bob Emmer and Fields.

The deal was negotiated between Fields and Paszt and Fler.