I was trying to make an unconventional horror film. It didn’t fit into the algorithm of what they knew they could spend and make money back on based on not offending their standard genre audience. Our budget was perfectly fine. We were always hovering at the $32 million mark, which was their budget. It was the creative that we were really battling. It was two movies. They didn’t care about that. In the first movie, what I was trying to do was an elevated horror film with actual characters. They didn’t want any characters. They wanted archetypes and scares. I wrote the script. They wanted me to make a much more inoffensive, conventional script. But I don’t think you can do proper Stephen King and make it inoffensive. – Former IT director, Cary Fukunaga, at ComingSoon.net

It has become clear to me that I am no longer able to compete at the highest level of mixed martial arts, competing, as a UFC fighter for the last 10 years has been something I will always look back on with great pride. I want thank everyone at Zuffa for giving me the opportunity to do what I love for so many years. That being said, I think my best days as a fighter are behind me and it would be a risk to my legacy and my health to continue competing. Therefore I would like to announce my retirement from the sport of mixed martial arts. This is a very difficult decision for me to make, but I am excited about the road ahead, and look forward to the beginning of a new chapter. – Sam Stout