Stories by @carsonsmith

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

A stop motion animated adaptation of L. Frank Baum's iconic story and remake of the legendary 1939 film produced by Laika studios in collaboration with Guillermo del Toro. A young farm girl is swept away by a devastating tornado from her Kansas home and lands in a vibrant, magical realm. Desperate to return to her family, she embarks on a perilous journey down a golden road toward the mysterious Wizard of Oz, who promises to grant her wish. Along the way, she befriends three unlikely companions: a scarecrow seeking a brain, a tin man yearning for a heart, and a cowardly lion desperate for courage. Together, they navigate enchanted forests, encounter the terrifying Wicked Witch of the West, and discover that the greatest magic lies within themselves. This stop-motion reimagining brings Baum's timeless tale to life with stunning artistry and emotional depth, exploring themes of self-discovery, friendship, and the power of believing in oneself.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

In Victorian London, the esteemed Dr. Henry Jekyll finds his reputation threatened by his mysterious association with Edward Hyde, a depraved stranger linked to a series of violent crimes. As siblings Gabriel and Mathilda Utterson investigate Hyde’s trail of terror, they uncover a dark connection that forces the doctor into a desperate battle for his sanity and survival.

Dracula

Young lawyer Jonathan Harker is sent to Transylvania, to finalize a land deal with the mysterious Count Dracula, but soon Dracula begins his plans to spread his scourge across England. Soon, a group of friends must band together to stop the Count.

Nosfeatu

In the 1830s, estate agent Thomas Hutter travels to Transylvania for a fateful meeting with Count Orlok, a prospective client. In his absence, Hutter's new bride, Ellen, is left under the care of their friends, Friedrich and Anna Harding. Plagued by horrific visions and an increasing sense of dread, Ellen soon encounters an evil force that's far beyond her control.

The Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

5 years ago, after his fiancé Andrea Beaumont fled, Bruce Wayne donned the cowl and became the Batman. 20 years later, Andrea returns to Gotham after the disappearance of Andrea’s father, Carl Beaumont. In Gotham, a hooded figure has been seen killing Gotham crime bosses who are tied to Carl and the hitman who shot him, who would eventually become the infamous criminal known as "the Joker." With this hooded figure (or "Phantasm") having a similar resemblance to the Batman, the caped crusader is now on the run. When Bruce rekindles his romance with Andrea, reconnects with Selina Kyle, and takes in a recently orphaned boy, Dick Grayson, with parallels to his own past, and with Commisioner Gordon's Step Daughter, Barbara taking inspiration from him, can the Batman choose his own destiny, And answer the question, Who is the "Phantasm," and how far will they shake up the future of Gotham and of the Batman?

Holmes Vs. Dracula

After Enola Holmes 2, the three Holmes siblings are in the roles they were meant to be in. Then, Sherlock and his new friend, Dr. John Watson, find a crazy man rambling about "the Master." Then, a ship arrives in England with the crew dead and a mysterious sighting of large bats and people disappearing. Soon, Enola, Tewkesbury, Dr. Watson, an American woman named Irene Adler, and her older brothers meet the ones at the center of these happenings: The Harkers, Quincy Morris, Arthur Holmwood, Dr. Seward, and Professor Van Helsing, as everyone is roped into a mystery involving an undead devil of a man. A man who is known in Eastern Europe as Dracula.

The Shadow

It is the year 1918, the end of the GREAT WAR. Two intelligence officers, Kent Allard, and Lamont Cranston, on a scouting mission, get caught in a mysterious weather phenomenon that sends them hurling into another realm, the spiritual kingdom of Shambhala, ruled by monks who control shadows and hold cloud men’s minds. This is only the beginning for the original dark superhero, THE SHADOW, as Kent takes on Cranston’s identity to fight against crime and injustice on a quest to prevent a madman from destroying the moral balance of America and the world. Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow Knows!

George A. Romero's The Mummy

(This is an unmade movie from the 1990) Set in modern-day America, archaeologist Helen Grover discovers and accidentally awakes the mummy Imhotep, who, after regaining his living appearance, struggles to adapt to modern life. He starts a relationship with Helen, herself a priestess of Isis in a previous life, and reincarnates another mummy, Karis, who goes on a rampage across the city. Meanwhile, Professor Whemple and his son must save Helen from the ancient being that comes to the modern day.

King Kong (the stop motion remake)

Aspiring actress Ann Darrow and director Carl Denham travel to the Indian Ocean to do location shoots for Denham's new jungle picture. Along the way, the actress meets and falls for rugged First Mate Jack Driscoll. Upon arriving at a mysterious island, Ann is taken hostage by natives who prepare her as a sacrifice to the enormous ape Kong who rules over their jungle. But when Ann is rescued and Kong is captured, the real trouble begins when he's brought to New York City.

Hellboy

Toward the end of World War II, the Nazis are willing to use black magic to defeat their enemies. But when a ritual to summon these hidden forces is interrupted by the allies, what they find is a creature with the appearance of a demon and a hand of stone. This young man is called Hellboy, being taken by the Allied forces. Years later, what was supposed to mean the end of the world is now their best hope against evil.

The Dark Universe

Based off of the scrapped idea of the Dark Universe, this series explores the notion that the Universal Classic Monsters were rebooted for the modern day in a cinematic universe like the MCU or the Monsterverse. The series would largely have been comprised of Gothic horror movies, the first few introducing the main monsters and the next phases allowing them to meet, and new monsters to be introduced.

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

The year is 1898, and Mina Murray is recruited by Campion Bond on behalf of British Intelligence and asked to assemble a league of other extraordinary individuals to protect the interests of the Empire: Captain Nemo, Allan Quatermain, Dr. Jekyll, and Hawley Griffin the Invisible Man. They help stop a gang war between Fu Manchu and Professor Moriarty, nemesis of Sherlock Holmes. Following this they take part in the events of H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds.

Dracula

Count Dracula, a Vampiric warrior, is condemned to live off the blood of the living for eternity. Young lawyer Jonathan Harker is sent to Dracula's castle to finalize a land deal, but soon Dracula begins his plans to spread his scourge across England. Soon a group of friends must band together to stop the Count.

Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein

An adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel which tells the true story of the legend of Frankenstein In the late 1700s, a scientist named Victor Frankenstein is obsessed with creating life from the dead, and built an 8-foot humanoid from the cadavers of the grave. However, Victor is repulsed by the final result and, after being turned away by other people, the latter begins to target all of the people closest to Victor. Now Victor must find a way to stop the creature.

Marvel Studios' The Midnight Suns

In the aftermath of his journey through the Dark Dimension, Doctor Strange uses his magic to protect the earth from threats from beyond the multiverse. But a gap in the spell has allowed Mephisto to raise hell upon the earth, tempting everyone into doing sin and taking their souls as punishment. Now with a failed bet leaving Stephen Strange's soul in the hands of a devil, Clea, Wong, and America Chavez are left with the responsibility of assembling a new team of monsters, hunters, and even an old foe to not only save Strange but all of the world from being dragged into hell.

Trial of The Batman

In the year since The Riddler's attempted destruction of Gotham, The Batman, Now fully understanding what Batman can be, begins to investigate the seeming murder of the Flying Grayson, a family of acrobats which may prove more dangerous than it seems, especially when Bruce, the flying Grayson's youngest son Dick, and several other important figureheads of gotham are kidnapped by the mysterious Court of Owls.

Superman: Brainiac

The Sequel to Superman: The Man of Tomorrow, Superman: Brainiac, follows Clark and Lois as they unwittingly attract an artificial Intelligence from Krypton that now has become a sentient machine bottling cities and seeking to do the same with earth, Now Superman, along with his newly discovered Cousin Kara, must stop the invasion and save earth.

Superman: The Man of Tomorrow

A live action Superman film in the same universe to 'The Batman'. A young man from a small town named Clark Kent tries to find his place in the world however he feels like he doesn't belong. He would soon find out that he's from an alien world called Krypton and the truth about his origin. Now, when an evil being named Mongul threatens the world he calls home, he must put his newly found powers to the ultimate test and become a symbol of hope.

King Kong

Aspiring actress Ann Darrow and director Carl Denham travel to the Indian Ocean to do location shoots for Denham's new jungle picture. Along the way, the actress meets and falls for rugged First Mate Jack Driscoll. Upon arriving at a mysterious island, Ann is taken hostage by natives who prepare her as a sacrifice to the enormous ape Kong who rules over their jungle. But when Ann is rescued and Kong is captured, the real trouble begins.

Superman: Whatever happened to the Man of Tomorrow?

In the future, after years as Superman had managed to defeat many of his villains, he manages to reach a peaceful time both as Clark and Superman. Despite, or maybe because of, this the villains are returning and are becoming harder and more brutal than ever. After being forced to reveal his identity to Lois, he's forced to send everyone he cares about to the Fortress of Solitude. Yet the villains, lead by the fused together Lex Luthor and Brainiac, has plans that may prove an even earlier end to superman, Can Clark do what he needs to do to save everyone?