Jeffrey Combs Joins Austin Birtch’s ‘Mystery of the Mothman’
Jeffrey Combs, who cemented his horror-legend status with genre classics such as “Re-Animator” and “From Beyond,” is set for a key role in “Mystery of the Mothman,” selected for this year’s Frontières Co-Production Market in Montreal.
The feature debut of Canadian director Austin Birtch, and produced with Lauren Andrews and Sydney Lloyd, the film explores the legend of the Mothman, tied to a wave of late-1960s sightings in New Jersey of a human-sized, birdlike creature with glowing red eyes.
“The Mothman legend is a unique fixture of North American folklore that has always felt ripe for adaptation,” Birtch told Variety. “The original story of a town plagued with tragedy, a shadowy red-eyed, winged monster haunting the skies, bizarre Men in Black threatening UFO witnesses, and a telepathic alien calling himself Indrid Cold has always captivated my imagination. What really happened in Point Pleasant in 1967?!”
The mystery inspired the 2002 Richard Gere-starrer “The Mothman Prophecies,” but Birtch’s take is expected to lean more heavily into genre territory.
“While I want to honor that mythology, my approach to the material is as a creature-feature horror film with practical effects akin to early Carpenter or Spielberg,” Birtch said. “I think audiences are going to love seeing this throwback creature feature that honors a familiar legend with a fresh spin – especially as audiences show renewed appreciation for practical effects and character-driven storytelling.”
“There’s a lot of horror that goes back to practical effects, and I love that,” said Frontières Executive Director Annick Mahnert, noting the trend at the 2022 edition of the platform. It’s one filmmakers like Birtch are embracing.”
“Working with executive producer and creature effects artist Steven Kostanski, we’re aiming to create a genuinely terrifying practical Mothman that feels ripped out of a ’70s creature feature – something fans of the cryptid have been longing for for years,” Birtch added.
Alongside his horror credentials, Combs is known for his nine character turns in the “Star Trek” universe, from Weyoun in “Deep Space Nine” to the voice of Agimus in “Star Trek: Lower Decks.”
“The character he’s playing, Adam Lubin, is the only paranormal investigator left in Point Pleasant in the wake of the Silver Bridge collapse,” Birtch explained. “His character is the anchor of the Mothman folklore in the film, tying the narrative to the legend’s origins.”
