In the late 1990s Roger Avary partnered with Don Coscarelli on a radical Phantasm sequel titled Phantasm 1999—a pitch that would have transplanted the Tall Man mythos into an apocalyptic, zoned United States and introduced new threats like the 'bag plague.' For a time the project seemed plausible: Avary and Coscarelli pursued financing and reportedly had a backer in 1997. Then the financing company changed hands and the deal evaporated, leaving years of inked plans and conceptual art in limbo. Coscarelli ultimately made Phantasm IV without Avary, though as late as 2022 Coscarelli expressed interest in realizing Avary’s script (rechristened Phantasm's End). The episode illustrates the precariousness of indie horror financing: a fully formed vision can be stopped cold by corporate shuffle and lost backers.
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AI concept artworkArchive Record · 1990s
Phantasm 1999: Avary’s Apocalyptic Sequel That Lost Its Financing and His Place on the Franchise
Phantasm 1999 / Roger Avary & Don Coscarelli / 1990s
In the late 1990s Roger Avary partnered with Don Coscarelli on a radical Phantasm sequel titled Phantasm 1999—a pitch that would have transplanted the Tall Man mythos into an apocalyptic, zoned United States and introduced new threats like the 'bag plague.' For a time the project seemed plausible: Avary and Coscarelli pursued financing and reportedly had a backer in 1997. Then the financing company changed hands and the deal evaporated, leaving years of inked plans and conceptual art in limbo. Coscarelli ultimately made Phantasm IV without Avary, though as late as 2022 Coscarelli expressed interest in realizing Avary’s script (rechristened Phantasm's End). The episode illustrates the precariousness of indie horror financing: a fully formed vision can be stopped cold by corporate shuffle and lost backers.
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