October wind sends chill to bone
And bustles autumn leaves,
So beware, BEWARE The Pumpkin Man
This All Hallows Eve – Dialogue from The Pumpkin Man
If you love horror films, terrifying monsters, and all things spooky; you won’t want to miss The Pumpkin Man – an upcoming, feature length love letter to Halloween. Created by Central Florida based South Ridge Films, The Pumpkin Man follows the historic town of Cromwell and its inhabitants as they cope with the resurgence of a legendary demon!
To find out more about the film’s inspirations and future distribution plan, I talked with South Ridge leaders and power couple: Ryan Sheets and Janae Muchmore. Thank you so much for chatting. Now, let’s take a closer look at the legend of The Pumpkin Man!
More About The Pumpkin Man
Starring Barbara Desa, Stephanie Kirves (Sinner Fields: Iconic, The Red Clock, etc), and a multitude of other locally based artists and crew members; The Pumpkin Man is a supernatural tale involving gory kills, a generational secret, misguided teenagers, and of course – a hugely imposing, vengeful demon.
From The Pumpkin Man‘s Facebook page:
Cromwell is a town whose history is intertwined with that of a local legend; The Pumpkin Man. Most people don’t believe the tales, but when Catherine Quinn discovers the missing piece of the legend, she and her friends will come face to face with the Demon of Fall… Kürbis!
During the movie, expect to dive deep into the town’s relationship with its terrible past and spooky history. Following the missteps of Catherine Quinn and her friends, audiences will learn the terrifying legend of the The Pumpkin Man and why some stories “are better left untold.”
You can watch the recently released trailer below:
And here’s an extended teaser for the film:
In addition to being a fun, spooky movie for Halloween fans, The Pumpkin Man is the ultimate culmination of years of character work, plot evolution, and creative tweaking. Ryan Sheets originally created the character as part of a class project for Ball State University, where Kürbis (the German word for pumpkin) starred in several short films. Beginning as a Michael Myers-esque slasher villain, Kürbis has since evolved into the mythological force we know today.
It’s worth noting that, while you can watch the six preceding Pumpkin Man short films on South Ridge’s YouTube page, they do not factor into the overall story of the upcoming feature. However, it is interesting to see the evolution of the character and to get a sense of what you might see in the finished film. You can watch Kürbis’ most recent encounter (and the closest version to what you’ll see in the movie) in The Pumpkin Man: Demon of Fall below:
Drawing heavy inspiration from Halloween Horror Nights’ Wicked Growth (a 2021 haunted house) as well as the previous Kürbis films, The Pumpkin Man is a unique treat for Orlando-based Halloween fans, horror movie lovers, and spooky people everywhere!
Where Can I Find The Pumpkin Man?
The Pumpkin Man will release in October 2022, just in time for the Halloween holiday. While the final distribution plans have yet to be announced, Ryan and Janae do expect to show the movie on select streaming services and at film festivals. Make sure to follow Kürbis’ Instagram and Facebook pages for the latest screening updates.
But What About Merch?
The Pumpkin Man has a Tee Public store! Inside you’ll find a variety of t-shirt styles, hoodies, accessories, and household goods. Check it out here!
About South Ridge Films
An award-winning production company, South Ridge Films has created a variety of horror-related (and some not horror-related) works. Visit their YouTube page to watch Letters of Wailing Creek (an acclaimed short film), Apprentice (a Wizarding World fan film), Moving Day (a horror comedy), and even a series of Behind-The-Scenes and movie-making instructional videos!
Find out more about South Ridge Films and their numerous projects by visiting their website. And be sure to follow their Instagram account for the latest news and updates!
Short Disclaimer: In the interest of integrity, I feel compelled to disclose that I do play a volunteer role in The Pumpkin Man. This post contains no affiliate links, and I did not receive any compensation for writing this article.
© Tyler Haunts Photography
