With Conan The Barbarian nearly ready for release, it seems Friday The 13th director Marcus Nispel is planning a return to the horror genre, having signed onto direct Backmask for producer Steven Schneider (Insidious, Paranormal Activity). The title refers to the rather 1980s idea that rock bands were hiding demonic messages in their records, which could only be accessed by playing them backwards – known as backmasking.
Here’s the (slightly generic) synopsis that Bloody Disgusting offered: ‘During a sex, drugs, and rock-fueled party, six small-town teenagers find an old vintage record and decide to play it backwards in order to listen for any subliminal/satanic messages. Lo and behold, a seemingly malevolent spirit quickly infiltrates the group, wreaking havoc as it moves from one body to another. Eventually, however, it’s revealed that the spirit in question is actually trying to convey a message….and that the real source of horror isn’t particularly paranormal, but rather something (or someone) much closer to home.’
Kristen Elms is writing the screenplay with shooting scheduled to begin in the summer.