When I first laid eyes on the poster for Studio 666 - which bears an illustration of Foo Fighters surrounding an obviously haunted house - I certainly hoped it might be a real movie, but never actually expected that to be true. When the first teaser trailer dropped in early December, so did my jaw, as I now had confirmation that one of the most celebrated rock bands in the world is headlining what looks to be one of the craziest upcoming horror movies of 2022.
There are actually few 2022 new movies releases that I am looking forward to more than this comedic thriller, starring Dave Grohl and co. as themselves, whose recording of their latest album is interrupted by sinister, possessive spirits a la the Evil Dead movies. I probably do not need to explain any further why Studio 666 has so strongly piqued my interest but, in case you were curious, let’s get rockin’.
Studio 666 Is The First Time Dave Grohl Is Leading A Dramatized Film
People who are not die-hard Foo Fighters fans might be surprised to learn that frontman Dave Grohl, who first rose to fame as the drummer for Nirvana, actually has some decent acting abilities. However, he as rarely been given the chance to really show his dramatic chops outside of his band’s famously bizarre music videos, and a few brief movie and TV cameos, such as in Bill and Ted Face the Music as himself in 2020, or in 2011’s The Muppets as Fozzy Bear’s drummer, “Animool.”
Studio 666 marks the first time that the musician has had a leading role in anything. Of course, he and his bandmates (drummer Taylor Hawkins, bassist Nate Mendel, guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear, and keyboardist Rami Jaffee) are billed collectively as Foo Fighters, and rightfully so.
What I find especially and hilariously ironic is that Dave Grohl’s feature film debut was 2006’s Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, as Satan, and now he is playing a version of himself possessed by a demon. It seems he had all the preparation he needed before filming.
Studio 666 Has A Star-Studded Supporting Cast
Dave Grohl is not the only acting veteran in the Foo Fighters. Taylor Hawkins played Iggy Pop in 2013’s CBGB biopic, Nate Mendel was in the 2000 drama, Our Burden is Light, Chris Shiflett played a bartender in the 2005 comedy, Cake Boy, Rami Jaffee appeared on TV Land’s Happily Divorced as (fittingly) a piano player, and Pat Smear played Jimi Hendrix in a movie about Charles Manson in 1989. However, they are not leading the Studio 666 cast alone.
A few people who do regularly act for a living make up the horror-comedy’s supporting players, including people known for comedy, like SNL vet and lead MacGruber cast member Will Forte, comedian and podcast host Whitney Cummings, and Jeff Garlin of Curb Your Enthusiasm fame. As one would hope, Studio 666 also features people known for horror, like upcoming Scream sequel star Jenna Ortega, Leslie Grossman of the American Horror Story cast, and, as “The Caretaker,” we have Marti Matulis - also known for playing creepy characters on AHS, as well as Teen Wolf and Evil.
Actor and filmmaker Jason Trost, who was actually an extra in Scream 2 and briefly appeared alongside Will Forte in 2010’s MacGruber movie, also has a role as a tech assistant for the Foo Fighters. He and Marti Matulis are currently the only ones in the Studio 666 cast outside of the band with any specific details attributed to their roles.
Studio 666 Director B.J. McDonnell Has Dabbled In Music, Horror, And Both At Once Before
Jason Trost has also previously worked with the director of Studio 666, B.J. McDonnell, in two projects that make the filmmaker pretty damn qualified for a project like this. In 2013, Trost had a small role in McDonnell’s directorial debut, Hatchet III - the third installment of a popular slasher franchise starring iconic horror movie actor Kane Hodder - and was the lead protagonist for a trio of narratively connected, brutally graphic, Slayer music videos both written and directed by McDonnell and collectively called The Repentless Killlogy.
McDonnell also has an extensive career as a camera operator for countless familiar titles, including various Marvel movies and the upcoming, highly anticipated sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, for instance. A large chunk of his resume include movies and TV shows that fall under the horror umbrella, from several episodes of American Horror Story to most of the Conjuring franchise movies and the upcoming Salem’s Lot remake, just to name a few. So, in other words, he seems to have been the perfect choice to translate the story of a rock band plagued by the supernatural to the big screen.
Studio 666 Was Co-Written By A Horror Veteran From A Story By Dave Grohl Himself
When I first heard about Studio 666, I wondered if Dave Grohl was also directing, since it would not be his first time in that position either. He has helmed several Foo Fighters videos, made his feature-length debut with the documentary Sound City, received an Emmy nomination for HBO’s 8-part docuseries Sonic Highways, and pulled a double in 2021 with What Drives Us, and the Paramount+ exclusive docuseries, From Cradle to Stage. While directorial duties for Studio 666 were given to B.J. McDonnell, it is Grohl’s original vision that the filmmaker is bringing to life.
The story of Studio 666 was crafted by the musician, who would then hand the task of turning it into a screenplay to someone who certainly knows what they are doing in that regard. Jeff Buhler (the scribe behind many notable thrillers, like 2008’s Bradley Cooper-led Clive Barker adaptation The Midnight Meat Train and the 2019 reimagining of Stephen King’s Pet Semetary), collaborated on the script with Rebecca Hughes, who has written for sitcoms like Grounded for Life. So, in other words, Studio 666 will likely be a horror-comedy that really is scary and funny, and thankfully so.
Movies That Combine Rock ‘N Roll With Horror Tend To Be Pretty Awesome
In addition to being a horror-comedy, Studio 666 is also, and most importantly, a rock ’n roll movie. It is however, not the first time that these disparate styles have been combined. In fact, some of the best horror-comedy movies I have ever seen are deeply rooted in a passion for music - the most obvious example being 1975’s iconic cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which fuses old school pop with classic horror tropes.
However, Studio 666 seems to have more in common with something like 1986’s Trick or Treat (not to be confused with 2007’s Trick r Treat) which is about a young metalhead who awakens demons with a cursed vinyl record, and features Ozzy Osbourne and Gene Simmons cameos. Fellow cult classic The Gate, released the following year, had a similar premise, as did the 2015 New Zealand import Deathgasm if you replace “cursed vinyl record” with “cursed sheet music” and add some relentless, cartoonish gore. If Studio 666 is anything like any of these movies, we should be in good shape.
Bottom Line: Studio 666 Is A Horror Movie STARRING THE FOO FIGHTERS!
I got another confession to make: any comparisons that Studio 666 may have to Trick or Treat or Deathgasm are of no concern to me. In fact, it would have never really mattered to me who was writing the screenplay, who was in the director’s chair, or what other A-list actors may have shown up in the cast. You know why? Because Studio 666 is a horror movie starring the fucking Foo Fighters.
You would not need to say another word to sell me on this, because the mere concept of one of my all-time favorite bands (whom I have seen live and since collected every studio album by) being the focus of a horror movie (my all-time favorite film genre) is nothing short of a dream come true. You can bet your soul that I will heading to the nearest movie theater to check out Studio 666 as soon as it hits theaters on Friday, February 25, 2022. Until then, I will be waiting for it everlong.
