British actor David Warner joins the cast of Bleak December’s Casting the Runes
Bleak December, the audio drama company that recently let Tony Todd channel Bram Stoker’s Dracula and enabled Sir Derek Jacobi take on the role of Sherlock Holmes, has just made the exciting announcement that they have cast inimitable British actor David Warner (The Omen, The Island, Straw Dogs, Tron, TV’s Penny Dreadful and so many more beloved credits) in their new adaptation of M.R. James’ chilling tale Casting the Runes, most memorably adapted as the classic Jacques Tourneur film Night of the Demon.
Warner will portray the enigmatic Magnus Karswell, whose sinister dabbling in the occult may be at the center of a mysterious death. Casting the Runes follows in the success of an acclaimed adaptation of Dracula starring Todd and the forthcoming Sherlock Holmes: The Hellhound, a dark re-imagining of The Hound of the Baskervilles featuring Sir Derek Jacobi as the venerable detective.
Bleak December founder Anthony D.P. Mann (who co-stars in Runes as doomed journalist Edward Dunning) is brimming with enthusiasm at this latest announcement:
“I can’t remember a time when David Warner wasn’t a part of my film-watching life, having put his stamp on so many roles in films that have meant a great deal to me. His definitive portrayal of Bob Cratchit in the 1983 version of A Christmas Carol is a master class in acting, and he remains at the top of his game. I am both overjoyed and humbled to have an opportunity to work with one of my favorites.”
Mr. Warner is pleased to be lending his recognizable tones to this audio production:
“I was brought up only with radio, so it means so much to me to be able to imagine for myself what is being presented. And we can all imagine differently what is being presented to us via audio and radio, and that’s what the magic of it is – our own imaginations are able to take over. As an actor (and a voice actor, sometimes), I’m so glad to be able to contribute to peoples’ visual take on whatever it is we’re presenting. I just think it’s so invaluable, you know – the images and dreams in the mind.”
Bleak December’s audio productions celebrate the rich history of radio theater and the spoken word format. Future audio releases planned include full-cast adaptations of Frankenstein, The Phantom of the Opera, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Sweeney Todd. Casting the Runes will debut as a digital download from Fangoria Magazine’s Musick label in early 2017.
