Los Angeles – May 12, 2022 – Platinum-selling musician Tom DeLonge (Blink-182, Angels & Airwaves) unveiled a special first-look trailer for his highly anticipated feature film Monsters of California. The film marks DeLonge’s directorial debut and is set to begin screening for distributors. This is DeLonge’s second foray into filmmaking, having previously produced and scored LOVE, a film Empire Magazine called “wildly ambitious.”
Described as a coming-of-age adventure with a sci-fi twist, Monsters of California follows teenager Dallas Edwards and his misfit friends as they attempt to unearth answers to a series of mysterious, paranormal events happening around Southern California. As they peel back the layers on this onion of the unexplainable, they unravel the extraordinary secrets held within the deepest levels of the Government.
“Anyone who knows me, or follows me on social media, knows I’m no stranger to the paranormal, which is why directing Monsters of California was a no brainer,” said DeLonge. “The film takes my fascination with the unexplained, combines it with the skate culture I grew up a part of, and tosses in my ridiculous sense of humor that millions got to witness during my Blink-182 days. In recent years, I’ve had the good fortune of helping the Government remember how much they care about UFOs through the work we do at To The Stars, and it’s that experience which helped inspire this movie. I can’t wait for audiences to see the f**ked up fun adventure these kids go on.”
Filmed in and around Encinitas, California, a skate and surf mecca outside Los Angeles, DeLonge has brought together an ensemble cast filled with new faces and fan favorites, including Tony Award® Nominee Richard Kind (Big Mouth, Curb Your Enthusiasm), veteran actor Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers), Emmy Award® Nominee Arianne Zucker (Days of Our Lives), Sports Illustrated model Camille Kostek, Gabrielle Haugh (Jeepers Creepers 3) and newcomers Jack Samson, Jared Scott, and Jack Lancaster.
Monsters of California is co-written by DeLonge and Ian Miller and is produced through DeLonge’s To The Stars Media along with Stan Spry and Eric Woods of Cartel Pictures (Creepshow, Day of the Dead). DeLonge also wrote and performed original music for the film.
“I’ve been a fan of Tom as an artist since I was in college. Blink-182, Boxcar Racer, and Angels & Airwaves are parts of the soundtrack of my life,” said Spry. “Working with him on Monsters of California has been the most fun, and creatively fulfilling project I’ve had the good fortune to be involved in. I’m beyond excited for the world to get to see what he has created.”
Anthony Fankhauser serves as a co-producer for The Cartel and Russell Binder co-produces for Striker Entertainment, in association with To The Stars Media, a division of To The Stars Inc.. The film was shot by cinematographer Justyn Moro (Demon House).
About To The Stars Media Inc:
To The Stars Media (TTSM) is a wholly owned subsidiary of To The Stars Inc.(TTS), a public benefit corporation based in San Diego, California. TTS was founded in 2017 by Tom DeLonge from Blink-182, former senior CIA officer Jim Semivan and physicist Dr Hal Puthoff. The company strives to be a revolutionary collaboration between academia, industry and pop culture to advance society’s imagination, curiosity and understanding of scientific phenomena and other mysteries of the universe. To The Stars Media creates award-winning content across music, tv, film, books and merchandise that is informed by the vast knowledge and experience of it’s own scientific advisory board that come from prestigious government agencies and academic institutions. The company became internationally recognized when it obtained the first official US Government military evidence of unidentified aerial phenomenon that it released in a front page expose with the New York Times in connection with the research for it’s book series, Sekret Machines. Other original To The Stars Media franchises include Poet Anderson, winner of IPBA’s ‘Best Teen Fiction’ and ‘Best Animated Short’ at Toronto International Short Film Festival, The Lonely Astronaut on Christmas Eve, Cathedrals of Glass and Monsters of California.
About Cartel:
Founded in 2011 by partners Stan Spry, Eric Woods and Jeff Holland, Cartel is a feature film and television production, distribution, financing and management company representing top-tier show runners, show creators, writers, directors, producers and production companies in film, TV and new media. Cartel has also produced more than 150 movie and television productions since inception, including the hit series Creepshow for Shudder, the animated series Twelve Forever for Netflix, and Syfy series Day of the Dead. Cartel previously produced the series Ties That Bind for Up TV, and A Place in the Sun for Discovery as well as several recent feature films, including Christmas With the Campbells, Monsters of California, Switched for Christmas, Jeepers Creepers 3, Christmas Connection, Love at the Shore, Sun Sand and Romance, Love at First Glance, and Wrong Nanny, to name a few. In 2013, Cartel purchased and renovated Tamarind Lithography Studios, which is their Los Angeles headquarters, as well as a full-service production and post-production complex. Cartel also has offices in London, England, Las Vegas, USA and Winnipeg, Canada.
