Real-world headlines involving bath salts provide the inspiration for a forthcoming horror-comedy musical.
Tania Raymonde (Lost, Goliath) leads the ensemble cast of writer-director Taylor Morden’s feature Eat Your Heart Out, which has recently wrapped production, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The cast also includes Jesse Rath (Supergirl), Emily Kimball (Dexter: Resurrection), Breanna Yde (School of Rock), Rob Huebel (Running Point), Brian Austin Green (Beverly Hills, 90210), Steve Agee (Peacemaker), Clare Grant (Palm Royale) and Brendan Sexton III (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri).
Hailing from PopMotion Pictures, Eat Your Heart Out is set in a small town that is about to host a major music festival, just as a risky new party drug begins to spread among the young locals. The drug promises exhilarating highs but includes such unfortunate side effects as uncontrollable rage, overwhelming strength and a sudden craving for human flesh. As this all plays out, best friends Jules (Raymonde) and Rory (Yde) get ready for their punk band to perform its first high-profile gig while navigating the town that is now swarming with flesh-eating demons.
“Those were two huge bucket-list things I wanted to check off, and you almost never get to do both in the same movie,” says Raymonde. “Getting to be a rock star, play music and kill zombies … I mean, what else do you need? It’s kind of the perfect film.”
Morden, known for helming the 2020 documentary The Last Blockbuster, directed Eat Your Heart Out from a script he co-wrote with Emily Claire. Morden and Claire serve as producers, while executive producers include Raymonde, Jaice DuMars and Robert Trevino. Stefanie Seifer, Hailey Giles and Chiara Marini of Spark Casting handled casting duties.
The indie film will feature original musical performances within the horror-comedy narrative. Eat Your Heart Out is currently in post-production following a five-week shoot in and around Eugene, Oregon, and will include practical effects.
“Eat Your Heart Out combines everything I love about movies: practical effects, absurd comedy, rad musical numbers and a surprisingly heartfelt story about friendship and finding your place in the world,” Morden adds. “It’s the kind of movie I would’ve rented a hundred times from the local video store.”
