‘The House by the Cemetery’s Bob returns to horror in slasher satire ‘Run!’ after 40 years away
Giovanni Frezza, the Italian child actor best known as young Bob in Lucio Fulci’s 1981 cult classic The House by the Cemetery, is returning to the screen for the first time in over 40 years to star in Run!, a meta slasher satire from NKY Films and Mediatrix Films.
TL;DR
- Giovanni Frezza — Bob from The House by the Cemetery — is making his screen comeback after more than 40 years away from acting.
- Run! is a satirical meta slasher tracing a masked killer’s career through the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
- The film is currently crowdfunding on Seed&Spark, with production set to begin in September 2025 for a 2027–2028 release.
- The House by the Cemetery (1981) remains a staple of UK cult horror, with Arrow Films releasing the title on Blu-ray in the UK and championing Fulci’s legacy domestically.
Who is Giovanni Frezza?
Lucio Fulci‘s 1981 Gates of Hell film The House by the Cemetery remains one of the most beloved entries in Italian horror. Frezza played the notorious Bob in the film and last appeared on screen in Lamberto Bava’s Demons in 1985.
His work as a child actor also saw him collaborate with filmmakers like Dario Argento and Enzo G. Castellari, making him one of the most recognisable faces in Italian cinema of the 1980s.
Few knew what happened to Frezza after he deliberately stepped away from acting at the age of thirteen. According to Fangoria, Frezza never regretted his choice to leave screen acting behind, instead graduating with a degree in physics that eventually led to an international career working in technology.
What is ‘Run!’ about?
Run! follows “Run,” described as the “first-ever masked slasher,” through the eras of his career — from the gritty 70s homestead killings to the neon-soaked, merchandising-heavy 80s, and into the quippy, self-aware 90s.
The film takes a clearly satirical angle on slasher fandom and franchise culture. The official synopsis describes a pioneering masked slasher who has become a relic of the past, forced to reckon with how horror shifts in pop culture as the decades roll on.
Run! also dips into meta territory, featuring slashers from other NKY Films productions, including Sweet Meats’ Butcher.
Cast and crew
Alongside Frezza, Run! features appearances from wrestlers Sean Stewart, Marti Belle, Larkan Danielle, and Aaron Williams, as well as Saturday Night Live alumnus Gary Kroeger, who also serves as executive producer.
Director Ricky Glore (Sweet Meats) wrote the script alongside co-writers Eric M. Hunter and Gage Dailey. NKY Films and Mediatrix Films produce.
Glore’s Sweet Meats won best horror at the 2025 Port of Fear Film Festival, giving the production team solid genre credibility heading into this new project.
Frezza’s return — and his undisclosed role
Frezza’s casting has been confirmed, but the details of his character remain under wraps. According to Fangoria, he returns to the screen in an undisclosed role for a meta look at how the fandom around slashers has evolved through the years, bringing with him a perspective shaped by decades of life experience beyond the film industry.
The framing is a natural fit. Bob Boyle is a character who lives on in horror fan communities — his unusually dubbed voice and wide-eyed reactions to Dr. Freudstein’s basement horrors have made the film a cult staple for decades.
UK angle: A Fulci film close to British horror hearts
The House by the Cemetery has a particular place in UK horror history. The film appeared on the Director of Public Prosecutions’ original Video Nasties list in the early 1980s, making it one of the most controversial titles of its era in Britain.
Arrow Films, the UK-based cult film distributor, has championed the film extensively. In their retrospective on the film, Arrow argued that Frezza’s performance, despite the notorious English dubbing, possesses a solid presence and verve that doesn’t ultimately mar the film as a whole. British horror fans can currently find the Arrow Blu-ray release of the film on their catalogue, available via Arrow’s UK storefront.
No UK release date for Run! has been confirmed at this stage, given production has not yet begun.
Production timeline and crowdfunding
Run! is currently raising funds on Seed&Spark and is set to enter production in September for a late 2027 or early 2028 release.
For fans of Italian genre cinema and the slasher revival wave currently sweeping the industry, this one is firmly on the radar. It combines genuine nostalgia — a childhood icon returning after four decades — with a self-aware take on slasher mythology that feels very much in the spirit of the post-Scream era the film itself will likely satirise.
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Reported from publicly available interviews and verified press sources. Last reviewed 22 May 2026.
Chloe Jones is a film and television critic dedicated to providing expert analysis of movies, web series, and the latest in prestige TV. Known for her insightful perspective and deep industry knowledge, Chloe helps audiences navigate the crowded streaming landscape with honesty and expertise. Folow me on letterboxd
