On July 1st we made the exclusive announcement than FARSCAPE and STARGATE SG-1 star Ben Browder would be returning for BAD KIDS GO TO HELL 2 (aka BAD KIDS GO 2 HELL), and would be directing the second film, in addition to premiering the first teaser trailer right here on Bigfanboy.com. Today we’ve received some rather cool casting news for the movie. You can read the full press release below, but the big news is the production has cast Sean Astin (THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy), Gina Gershon (BOUND), Drake Bell (DRAKE AND JOSH) and Sufe Bradshaw (VEEP). These are cool names for a film like this, and definitely should get fans excited. No word yet on what characters each will be playing, but we’re betting Astin and Gershon are likely teachers at Crestview Academy. Check out the full press release below. We hope to have an on-set report soon, so stay tuned.
SEAN ASTIN, GINA GERSHON, DRAKE BELL, SUFE BRADSHAW JOIN SAMMI HANRATTY IN
HORROR-COMEDY BAD KIDS GO 2 HELL
Gershon Stars Opposite Astin In Sequel To Cult Comic Book / Film Series Phenomenon
DALLAS, TX – Sean Astin (“The Strain,” the Lord of the Rings trilogy) and daughter Ali Astin (Lord of the Rings: Return of the King), Gina Gershon (Killer Joe, Showgirls, Bound), Drake Bell (Nickelodeon’s “Drake & Josh”), and Sufe Bradshaw (HBO’s “Veep”) have signed on to join Sammi Hanratty (WGN America’s “Salem”) in Bad Kids Go 2 Hell, the latest chapter in the cult dark comedy-horror franchise Bad Kids Go To Hell. The announcement was made today by the producers of the Bad Kids film franchise, James R. Hallam, Barry Wernick and Brad Keller. The film is based on the best-selling graphic novel and has developed a tremendous cult following.
BGKTH veteran Ben Browder (Farscape, Stargate, “Arrow”), who played “Max” in the original film, makes his feature directorial debut on BKG2H, as well as reprises his role for the sequel. The film reunites Sean Astin with his daughter, last seen together on-screen in Return of the King. Hanratty, in the starring role, leads an ensemble cast of “Bad Kids” comprised of young rising stars Colby Arps (the upcoming Men, Women & Children), Sophia Taylor Ali (“Tyrant” and the upcoming Walking with the Dead), Matthew Frias (When the Game Stands Tall), and Erika Daly.
Gershon won the Toronto Critics Film Association award for Best Supporting Actress in Killer Joe, and was most recently seen in the films Staten Island Summer and Love Ranch, and is currently in production on My Dead Boyfriend.
Executive Producer James Hallam noted: “We are so blessed to have rounded out our youthful and very talented cast with the star power, that Sean, Gina, Drake, and Sufe bring to the table.”
In Bad Kids Go to 2 Hell, it’s four years later and a new group of students has been placed in Saturday detention at snooty Crestview Academy. After one of the kids locks away the teacher assigned to watch them, the five of them very quickly find their ranks dwindling as each meets a gruesome fate. They may make it out of the library, but with a new threat revealing itself around every hallway, is there enough time and resources for at least one of them to make it out alive?
The film, which was written by Barry Wernick and based on the comic book series created by Wernick and Matthew Spradlin, is currently in production in Texas and is expected to be released in Summer 2015. Additional plot details are being kept under wraps, but fans of the first film in the franchise should expect a lot of fun twists and turns.
ABOUT BAD KIDS PRODUCTIONS
Good Kids/Bad Kids is an entertainment development company. The team leverages its members experience in the creative, business, and legal fields for the past 20 years to bring marketable trans-media brands to retail. Whether it is under the kid/family friendly brand “Good Kids,” or the harder/edgier brand “Bad Kids,” Good Kids/Bad Kids provides services to individuals and companies looking to explore opportunities in commercials, television, movies, video games, and more. Good Kids/Bad Kids “takes the good with the bad.”
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
