Movies
Watchman Star Joins Cast of Hammer’s ‘The Resident’
It was revealed to B-D today that Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen) has been cast to star opposite two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank in the suspense/thriller The Resident for Hammer Films. Antti J. Jokinen is directing the film from a script he co-wrote with Robert Orr (“Savior”) and re-written by Erin Cressida Wilson (“Secretary,” “Fur”). Beyond the break you can check out a long synopsis for the film, which begins shooting soon.
“The Resident” is inspired by the fact that every year, millions of single women in America move into apartments for the first time. They do not know who lived in the apartment before them, they do not know their landlords, and they don’t bother to change the locks. This is the story of one such woman, a pretty, young doctor Juliet Dermer (Swank), who is settling into a new life and a new loft in Brooklyn when mysterious occurrences lead her to suspect that she is not alone in her home. Her fears quickly become all too real, and in a chilling revelation she discovers that her seemingly charming, young landlord, Max (Morgan), has developed a dangerous obsession with her. A terrifying game of cat and mouse ensues as Juliet fights to free herself from Max’s sinister intentions.
Exclusive Film Distribution is handling worldwide sales and distribution for the film.
Hammer is producing the film for parent company Exclusive Media Group (EMG), the global filmed entertainment group combining Hammer and L.A. based Spitfire Pictures, backed by strategic Investment Group Cyrte Investments. The announcement was made by EMG’s Co-CEO’s Simon Oakes and Nigel Sinclair.
In the wake of Backrooms and Obsession, everyone is prowling YouTube for horror shorts to adapt and horror filmmakers to scoop up, so don’t be surprised to see a whole bunch of upcoming articles about YouTube success stories crossing over into theaters. One horror short that’s already been picked up for expansion is Dolly director Rod Blackhurst’s Alone Time.
The 12-minute short was uploaded in 2014 and has amassed nearly 2 million views at the time of this article being written, and Deadline reports that it’s getting a feature adaptation.
Witchcraft Motion Picture Company & Fever Dream will turn the viral short into a feature film.
Alone Time follows Ann Saunders, a young NY professional whose carefully constructed life begins to unravel following a devastating personal loss. “Seeking refuge from a collapsing relationship, a deteriorating family situation, and mounting emotional trauma, Ann reluctantly joins her closest friend on a remote camping trip deep in the Adirondack wilderness.”
The synopsis continues, “When her friend mysteriously disappears, Ann becomes convinced that an unseen figure is stalking her through the forest. What begins as a survival nightmare slowly transforms into something far more disturbing as fractured memories, conflicting realities, and hidden truths force Ann to confront the possibility that the greatest threat may not be lurking in the woods at all, but buried deep within her own psych.”
“Alone Time has quietly followed me for over a decade,” director Rod Blackhurst said in a statement. “What began as a short film about isolation and the weight of life now feels more relevant than ever. The original short found its audience organically online long before that was considered a legitimate path for filmmakers. Bringing it to life as a feature allows us to explore those themes on a much larger and more psychologically unsettling canvas.”
Blackhurst is directing the feature length expansion.
You can watch the original Alone Time short film below.