The original '80s Deathstalker was basically a Conan the Barbarian knock off that achieved cult status over the years thanks to its tongue-in-cheek tone, some decent fantasy action/violence, and a heathy does of naked flesh.
It starred Rick Hill as the titular warrior along with Playboy model Barbi Benton and Lana Clarkson, who would go on to become a sword-and-sorcery mainstay before being shot dead by record producer Phil Spector in 2003.
The movie spawned three sequels, which got progressively worse as they went, but are still worth checking out as long as you know what to expect going in.
Now, Shout! Studios has unveiled the first trailer for Steven Kostanski's (Frankie Freako, PG: Psycho Goreman) reboot ahead of its Fantastic Fest North American premiere on October 10.
Check out the trailer and poster below.
Executive produced by Guns 'N Roses legend Slas, Deathstalker stars Daniel Bernhardt (John Wick, The Matrix Reloaded) as the titular warrior, with Patton Oswalt (Young Adult, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) providing the voice of the benevolent wizard Doodad.
"We didn’t have a huge budget for this and he wanted to do everything practical, which I’m a big proponent of," Slash tells Variety. "I did not want something that was steeped in CGI, so that really was exciting. So he came on board, and then we found Daniel Bernhardt, who’s the only person I can think of that could play Deathstalker. I was on the road when production started, and they were sending me dailies, and they looked amazing. I was really shocked. Then I flew to somewhere in Ontario for a day of production. It was great."
The official synopsis reads:
When Deathstalker recovers a cursed amulet from a corpse-strewn battlefield, he's marked by dark magick and hunted by monstrous assassins. To survive, he must break the curse and face the rising evil. Death is just the beginning… of great adventure!
Deathstalker also stars Nina Bergman (Doom: Annihilation) as Grendel, Christine Orjalo (Astrid and Lilly Save the World) as Brisbayne, Paul Lazenby (Deadpool 2) as Jotak, and Jon Ambrose (The Umbrella Academy) as Pig-Face.