The world of German splatter gets a new face with the Game of Death franchise universe, an ambitious multimedia project that just enlisted the help of Dread Central founder Steve “Uncle Creepy” Barton (Terrifier 2, Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy, Survival of the Dead).
Bloody Disgusting has learned that the writer, producer, and personality has joined the Game of Death team for its third entry. But let’s back up here for a second. What is Game of Death?
From writer, director, and FX artist Timo Rose, the Game of Death franchise universe will kick off with a series of three movies, and the plan is to go even bigger from there.
For starters, the first film, Game of Death Chapter 1: The Six Doors to Hell, and its sequel, Game of Death Chapter 2: Dark Secrets, have both been completed and have found distribution abroad, and will soon be making their way to a North American release.
“Just watching the trailers alone for these films more than piqued my interest,” says Barton. “After seeing the first two completed films, I knew I could help elevate the franchise to the next level, and will work damned hard to find the right home for the first two movies here in the United States.”
“German splatter films have been amongst my favorites for many years, if only for their unbridled lunacy,” Barton notes. “These movies seriously spread the red! Get ready, kids! Things are about to get delightfully messy!”
“I’m really excited to finally be working with Steve,” says Timo Rose. “I’ve been following his work for at least 20 years, and Steve used to publish news about my films ages ago. He’s also a filmmaker, writer, and movie lover himself. Nothing could be better than working with like-minded people.”
Rose continues, “Game of Death is an expanding and ever-growing universe. We started with two films and it has since evolved into something truly special and unique. It keeps growing. The first animated film is already complete, and we’re also developing video games. Everything is expanding, and we can really let loose creatively.
“The games and animated films are partially canon, which allows us to push the boundaries even further without being confined by the limitations of live-action filmmaking. In this way, all of it merges into one vast, interconnected universe with almost no limits. Chapter 3 is now in pre-production, and Part 3 will certainly not be the end.”
“The world of horror is a village,” adds creator and producer Nando Rohner. “What began as a single idea has, over the years, grown into a cross-media MovieVerse. Timo Rose and I are letting ourselves go wild: alongside the films, the first animated movie and the first game are already finished — and we’re only getting started.”
In the first movie…
“Set in a bleak future where the world suffocates under the iron fist of a tyrannical regime, Ken Shiro—driven by unyielding determination—embarks on a perilous mission to locate the gate to Hell and rescue his daughter from the Inferno.”
And in the sequel…
“The story unfolds across two converging timelines, while simultaneously jumping back to 2015 to reveal the origins of what is to come. Serving as both a sequel and a prequel, the narrative follows parallel storylines that inexorably converge, exposing hidden truths, long-buried choices, and the forces that set the apocalypse in motion. As past and future collide, so do two worlds—human and infernal—culminating in a brutal, unavoidable bloodbath that reshapes everything left standing.”
Bloodline: Game of Death Chapter 3 is currently in pre-production and continues the saga as a direct sequel to both Chapter 1 and Chapter 2. Set just two weeks after the events of Dark Secrets, the world is still reeling from the aftermath of what was unleashed. Any illusion of safety is gone, and the boundaries between the living and the damned have begun to erode.
The evil forces thought to be defeated have returned stronger, more organized, and far more merciless than before. This time, there are no warnings, no negotiations, and no survivors spared. As bloodlines are tested and long-buried truths come to light, the fight becomes more personal, more brutal, and more desperate than ever. The war is no longer coming—it has arrived.
The films feature FX work from writer/director Timo Rose alongside Francesco Faranna of Rise FX (The Last Voyage of the Demeter, Midnight Mass, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Watchmen). The first two films star Maya Trojanowski (Death Wish: Zero), Lewis Santer (Tigger in Winnie the Pooh- Blood and Honey 2, Pinocchio: Unstrung), David Ruessel (Martial Arts Expert), Golden Globe winner Irene Miracle (Midnight Express, Puppet Master, Dario Argento’s Inferno), Richard Norton (China O’Brian, Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa, Kickfighter), Norbert Weisser (John Carpenter’s The Thing, Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, Knight Rider, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul), Robert Samuels (Supercop, The Corrupter) and Yanlong Li (John Wick 4, Matrix 4, The South Shaolin Master).
Watch the trailer for the Game of Death movie-verse below for a bloody taste.
