Malcolm McDowell Joins Cast of Eagerly Anticipated 'Hidden Valley: The Awakening' Thriller Film

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - Sept. 7, 2013 - PRLog -- All eyes in Hollywood, and over 400 of the best and brightest were on hand when Jon Morgan Woodward, Author/Actor/Writer/Producer, and acclaimed Director John Carl Buechler threw a mind-blowing party to go along with the release of the dark mystery thriller book, ‘Hidden Valley: The Awakening,’ the first of five adapted thriller screenplays from The Hidden Valley Saga Series. The release party took place at the Hayworth Theater during a full moon on August 20^th and Hollywood has been buzzing ever since.

Voted the most anticipated movie to be released in 2014 on IMDb, the ‘Hidden Valley: The Awakening’ book release party, was held under a full moon, where everyone’s thirst for werewolves was quenched when they received a copy of the book, personally autographed that evening by actors and producers associated with the movie Hidden Valley: The Awakening. Described as ‘addictive as crack cocaine,’ the book is now available in paperback and Kindle at Amazon.com.

Throughout the exclusive red carpet event launching the book, everyone was talking about the movie. Actor Malcolm McDowell was listening, as he most recently worked with Buechler and Woodward on the fantasy epos Wizardream, written and directed by Buechler and starring McDowell as The Wizard Mangodor. McDowell has now been officially attached to the forthcoming mystery thriller, playing the role of Dr. Marcus.  “Hidden Valley is the biggest and the best saga to come along in years and I am excited to be a part of it,” exclaimed McDowell upon sharing the announcement of his participation in the film.

McDowell was born in Leeds, England and attended the London Academy of Music and Art to study acting. His first big-screen role was in Poor Cow (1967), and he soon after caught the attention of director Lindsay Anderson who cast him in the role of a rebellious student in his film If.... (1968). The film catapulted Malcolm to stardom in Britain.  He also wrote and starred in the semi-autobiographical O Lucky Man! (1973), starred as the infamous Alex DeLarge in Stanley Kubrick's controversial A Clockwork Orange (1971) (a role that caused him to be typecast as a manic psychopathic villain) and spent nearly a year working on what would later be one of the most infamous films of all time, the semi-pornographic Caligula (1979), financed by Penthouse magazine founder Bob Guccione. Around that time, the British film industry collapsed, forcing McDowell to flee to America to continue working. His first American film was Time After Time (1979).

In 1994, he was cast as Dr. Tolian Soran, the man who killed Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Generations (1994). He played another villain in the classic BBC miniseries "Our Friends in the North" (1996). One of the most recent movies he just filmed was with Buechler playing The Wizard Mangodor in Wizardream due out in 2014. Today, with more than 100 films under his belt, and numerous TV shows, he is one of the greatest actors in America. He is currently starring in the role of Stanton Infeld on the TNT hit show “Franklin & Bash.” McDowell is very excited about playing a ‘good guy' for a change in Hidden Valley: The Awakening. The film is currently in pre-production, aiming for a release in June 2014.

In Woodward’s movie, when three high school kids are attacked by a vicious werewolf, a chilling story unfolds about love, life and what lengths a small community goes through to try and win a high school championship. As the sun sets and the full moon rises, all hell breaks loose. Everyone has to fight to save their lives during a night of murder and uncontrollable slaughter in Hidden Valley. McDowell’s role as Dr. Marcus will be to help solve the horrifying mysterious murders by piecing together clues brought to him by the sheriff and the coroner.

"Hidden Valley The Awakening is one of the most entertaining books that I have read in this genre,” commented Buechler. “It is a coming of age story filled with laughter and tears, violent and brutal murders, unbridled sex, and of course, werewolves!”  Buechler signed on for the direction of Hidden Valley after reading just a few pages of the screenplay and the book adaptation, which he described as “…so right from a cinematic standpoint…viscerally and dynamically to the page as it would play on the screen. Buechler is most noted for his Direction on Paramount Pictures’ Friday the 13 Part VII: The New Blood (1988) and his design as Director of Special Effects for Troll (1986). Buechler’s work in cinematic monster-making is legendary and some of his creative monster work and creature effects was featured in a special theatrical show at the book release party at the Hayworth Theatre.

Jarvee Hutcherson, President of the Multicultural Motion Picture Association devoured the book after receiving it at the book release party. “The Red Carpet Book Release party was wonderfully crafted with greatly talented artists performing. It was a great show. I think the concept of the book and movie is excellent. I enjoyed reading it and was not able to put it down,” stated Hutcherson. “I think the movie is great and I believe it’s something the studios will certainly get behind,” he added.

Other actors slated to be in the movie version of Hidden Valley: The Awakening include actor Booboo Stewart, who played the role of Seth Clearwater in the Twilight Saga Eclipse and reprised the role in both Breaking Dawn 1 and 2, Reatha Grey, one of the hip senior pranksters starring on the NBC hit series Betty White's Off Their Rockers, actor/comedian/rapper Brett Hunt, actor James Cavlo, actress Kayla Tabish, actor Carlos Ramirez, actors Hector David Jr. and Najee De-Tiege from the hit TV series Power Rangers Samurai, actor Brandon Tyler Russell, and actor Hassan Mahmoud.

All media and talent managers, please email hiddenvalleythemovie@aol.com. For more information on the movie, check out http://www.HiddenValleyTheMovie.com. For more information on ‘Hidden Valley: The Awakening’ book or  to request an interview with the author or director, to sponsor a book signing, or for any other info please contact our Public Relations Department at 310.754.9321.