Two fellow Stephen King film alums are joining forces on a new entry into the horror genre. Deadline reports that It Chapter Two star, Jessica Chastain, has been tapped to lead the cast of Incidents Around the House, which will be helmed by The Boogeyman director, Rob Savage. This time around, the Carrie and The Shining writer isn’t the force behind the source material, but the movie will serve as an adaptation of the book of the same name by Josh Malerman. Further building out its horror dynasty, the project is backed by both Atomic Monster and Blumhouse, with Succession scribe Nathan Elston turning the story into screenplay form.
The film, which will be released under Universal Pictures, hasn’t yet released specific details, but we can gather plenty from the book’s plot. The story is told from the perspective of an eight-year-old girl named Bela who can’t seem to shake a sinister entity that she refers to as “Other Mommy”. The tale follows the unhinged and unsettling hauntings that the young girl experiences with Other Mommy, who wants to fully engulf Bela with her maternal instincts. Meanwhile, in the world of the living, Bela’s family life proves to be incredibly tumultuous, which ultimately makes Other Mommy’s offers rather enticing.
From the jump, a lot of the underlying themes in Incidents Around the House sound incredibly reminiscent of what Savage tackled in The Boogeyman. Yes, horror places the foundational bricks of the storyline, but at its core is trauma — specifically tied to a family’s inability to connect and process things in a healthy way. This type of storyline paired with a performance from the Academy Award-winning actress, and we’re seeing success in the future. Joining from the shadows, James Wan will produce under his Atomic Monster banner, while Malerman, Savage, Michael Clear, Macdara Kelleher, Judson Scott, and Ryan Lewis will executive produce. Atomic Monster’s Alayna Glasthal will oversee.
Jessica Chastain’s Horror History

Chastain may be known for her highly attuned dramatic chops, but, when she does it, the actress can deliver an incredibly solid horror performance. In the past, she’s chilled, thrilled, and delighted audiences thanks to standout performances in Andy Muschietti’s 2013 feature, Mama, and Guillermo del Toro’s 2015 supernatural thriller, Crimson Peak. The actress would rejoin Muschietti just a few years later to help him complete his cinematic King adaptation in It Chapter Two. As of right now, no casting details have been announced, but we’d love to see Chastain star as the sinister presence known as Other Mommy in Savage’s upcoming project.
Stay tuned to Collider for more updates surrounding Incidents Around the House.

It Chapter Two

Release Date

September 6, 2019

Runtime

169 minutes

Writers

Gary Dauberman

Source: Deadline