Indie Horror Throwback ‘Mr Whispers’ Smashes Crowdfunding Goal
The B-Team has scored big with its debut feature Mr Whispers, closing out a crowdfunding campaign with a massive £67,492 haul from 489 backers – a staggering 269% of its original £25,000 target. The 24-day campaign, which kicked off on August 5th, was spearheaded by producer and lead star Megan Tremethick (The Reign of Queen Ginnarra, The Slave and the Sorcerer, In the Grip of Terror).
Described as a VHS-era occult chiller straight out of the late ’90s, Mr Whispers follows goth investigator Kathryn Hale (Tremethick) and her group of film student friends as they uncover a sinister urban legend lurking in the ruins of an abandoned cinema — a site tied to mysterious child disappearances.
Director Dorian Todd cites Noroi: The Curse, The Blair Witch Project, and Lake Mungo as key influences, aiming for a raw, found-footage intensity. “When the camera exists in the story, it feels real,” he says. “With Mr Whispers, I wanted everything to feel raw and genuine. The characters, their reactions and, of course, the scares.”
Though new on paper, The B-Team is stacked with familiar UK horror talent. Directors Seumas MacNeil, Oliver Revie, and Todd have all collaborated with Hex Studios’ Lawrie Brewster and Sarah Daly, while the cast – including Tremethick, Novarro Ramon, Stephen Corrall, and Sam Barclay – will be well-known to fans of indie fright fare.
The project falls under the umbrella of British Horror Studio, with The B-Team’s branding drawing inspiration from cult houses like Tigon Productions, the company behind Witchfinder General and Blood on Satan’s Claw. Even the label’s logo nods to that heritage, swapping Tigon’s tiger for a black cat, a symbol Tremethick says reflects the team’s outsider spirit.
With plans to deliver three to four distinctive genre films a year, The B-Team is positioning itself as a modern champion of low-budget but high-impact horror. And if the crowdfunding success of Mr Whispers is any sign, fans are ready to follow this black cat into the dark.
