Fans of traditional effects and stop-motion animation are going to want to keep an eye on Shudder. The horror-themed streaming service has announced that it has acquired the rights to the film Mad God. The film is the work of the legendary effects artist Phil Tippett. The trailer can be viewed below.
If you’ve never heard of Phil Tippett, odds are you’ve still been exposed to his work in one way or another. The artist’s work has appeared in movies such as Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Robocop, Howard the Duck, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and more. He’s also had his hands dipped into directing as well such as the 1984 short Prehistoric Beast and the 2004 television film Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation. Mad God will be Tippett’s fourth directing credit. Tippett’s work has earned him numerous awards and nominations over the years.
Monsters, Mad Scientists, and War Pigs
The birth of Mad God took place in the 1980s while Tippett was working on the production of Robocop 2. But it was the production of Jurassic Park that made Tippett shelve the idea. Encouraged by members of his studio, Tippet dug the props back out from storage twenty years later and continued production. The film was finally completed using a crew of volunteer employees that he trained himself over another decade.
According to the official Mad God website, the crew members began volunteering their weekends to work on the film. But before long, “it snowballed into a crew of more than 60 artists”. Mad God made its premiere at the Locarno Film Festival in 2021 and has been hopping from festival to festival ever since. The official website describes the film as such.
Each piece of MAD GOD is hand crafted, independent and created from the heart. Sometimes that heart is bursting with love for the craft, while other times it’s macabre, punctured, and bleeding. MAD GOD is a mature film crafted from techniques & technologies that span the history of cinema and the career of a true animation mastermind.
Shudder picked up the exclusive streaming rights for the Mad God. But the film will also have a limited theatrical release. Craig Engler, Shudder’s general manager, expressed excitement over the film coming to the service’s library for new audiences.
“In short, Phil Tippett is a genius, and there’s no better home for him and his visionary mind than Shudder. We’re proud to bring this sure-to-be timeless film to our members.”
Tippett himself also expressed excitement, not only of the deal but of being able to bring his passion project to life and in front of audiences to enjoy.
It’s been over 30 years, but thanks to the team at Tippett Studio we finally made the dream a reality. I’m proud to partner with Shudder on the release of Mad God, and it’s an honor that my original vision can now be shared with audiences across the country.”
Mad God is coming to Shudder on June 16th.
