Matt Smith of The Crown has been cast in BAFTA-nominated writer and director Daniel Kokotajlo’s eerie horror flick Starve Acre, with Emmy-nominee Morfydd Clark.
Starve Acre is now in pre-production and therefore will begin filming in the United Kingdom later this spring, as per The Hollywood Reporter. The project will be launched there at Berlin Film Festival’s virtual European Film Market, where Cornerstone will handle international sales (EFM).
The modern horror Starve Acre explores “inherited trauma and loss within a world ruled by supernatural folklore.” Set in rural 1970s England, the story revolves around a couple Richard (Matt Smith) and Juliette (Morfydd Clark) find their idyllic family life disrupted when their son starts acting out of character.
The formerly happy couple grow farther apart when Richard buries himself in exploring a folkloric myth that the ancient oak tree on their land possesses phenomenal powers. While his wife Juliette turns to the local community to find some kind of peace, Richard obsessively digs deeper. An unexpected discovery soon occupies the couple’s attention and “dark and sinister forces” find their way into the home, offer a disturbing possibility of reconnection between them.
The moody horror picture, based on Andrew Michael Hurley’s novel, will be directed by Daniel Kokotajlo, whose been previously nominated for a BAFTA Award for his 2017 British drama film Apostasy, that was also made in conjunction with Cornerstone. For Apostasy, the famous director received the IWC Schaffhausen Filmmaker Bursary Award in collaboration well with BFI.
Tessa Ross (12 Years a Slave), Juliette Howell (Brexit: The Uncivil War), and Emmy Duffy (Rocks) will allegedly produce the House Productions feature film, which will be funded by Access Entertainment, BBC Film, as well as the BFI.
“Daniel’s eerie cinematic vision for Starve Acre is magnificent,” Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder of Cornerstone said. “We’re pleased to be able to continue our cooperation with him.”
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