If there’s one genre that is in severe need of a comeback: it’s the sword and sorcery genre. While prominent in the 80’s, it’s been a long time since they’ve had their time in the sun. But with He Man and the Masters of the Universe releasing next year, I’m hopeful that a new age is upon us. And, even better yet, this week sees the release of Deathstalker. This remake of the 1983 film comes to us from Psycho Goreman director Steven Kostanski (and you can check out Cody Hamman’s review of it HERE.)

I was lucky enough to talk to Kostanski and star Daniel Bernhardt about their new film and their excitement for their new film was infectious. Unfortunately my interview with the pair has gone the way of the dodo’s due to a technical glitch on their side, so I figured I’d do my best to highlight some of the things I found out from the conversation. Being a big fan of the sword and sorcery franchise from the 80s (with a particular affinity for Deathstalker II), Kostanski wanted to recreate that magic the best he could. While he mostly uses the aesthetic of the original film versus doing a full blown remake, there are plenty of nods to fans of the franchise.

And it was fascinating to hear that, while the Kickstarter campaign didn’t fund the entire venture, it did allow Kostanski to fund a particularly important part of the film: the practical FX. Often with these independent films, there isn’t much in the budget for prepping FX ahead of time, which is why we often see a reliance on CGI. But with the help of the Kickstarter backers, they were able to create and develop the various practical FX that we would come to see in the film.

I’ve liked Daniel Bernhardt from his roles as various henchmen over the years whether it be in the John Wick franchise or even as an Agent in The Matrix sequels. So I was happy to finally see him take center stage as Deathstalker himself. He had an absolute blast getting to fight with swords and shields, fully utilizing his many decades of martial arts experience. This role really sounded like an absolute dream come true for the man. If you’re a fan of these kinds of sword and sorcery movies, I can’t recommend the Deathstalker remake enough.

Deathstalker (2025) plot:

In Deathstalker, the Kingdom of Abraxeon is under siege by the Dreadites, heralds of the long-dead sorcerer Nekromemnon. When Deathstalker recovers a cursed amulet from a corpse-strewn battlefield, he’s marked by dark magick and hunted by monstrous assassins. To survive, he must break the curse and face the rising evil. Death is just the beginning… of great adventure!

Deathstalker is Exclusively in Theaters on October 10th, 2025.