Director Jonathan King is bringing practical creature effects and digital work together for Black Sheeps, his return to the world of the 2006 New Zealand horror-comedy Black Sheep.
Wētā Workshop is again supplying physical creature effects, while the sequel contains more than 400 visual effects. In a 26 October interview, King described digital work built around creatures and objects photographed on location or on set, rather than a choice between practical and computer-generated effects.
The story follows a young scientist whose investigation takes her back to her hometown, a strange cult and quarantined farmland known as the Zone. Tabatha Killick joins returning actors Nathan Meister and Oliver Driver, alongside Joe Witkowski.
Meister’s Henry Oldfield has spent the intervening years trying to contain the danger on his farm. King said that burden had damaged Henry’s relationships, with Meister helping develop the character’s history between films.
New Zealand Halloween previews run from 30 October to 1 November, ahead of the nationwide cinema release on 12 November. Australian audiences can see Black Sheeps at Monster Fest before its cinema release on 19 November.
