EXCLUSIVE: Emma Roberts (American Horror Story) is set to star in horror A Body In The Woods, from producer Dave Caplan, whose credits include Longlegs and The Monkey.
The project marks the debut film from new U.S. sales firm Manifest Pictures, led by Yvette Zhuang and Zach Glueck, with pre-sales getting underway at this week’s European Film Market in Berlin.
Scream 4 and American Horror Story actress Roberts will play Alice Lincoln, “a woman at the turn of the century living deep in the Marshall Woods, a place long-plagued by legends of a menacing witch. When Alice is left alone at her remote cabin to keep vigil over the body of an unidentified mine worker, unsettling disturbances in the dark lead Alice to fear the corpse may not be fully at rest. The appearance of a silent woman at the edge of the forest road traps Alice in a waking nightmare between the growing evil within and the nameless terror waiting beyond her door.”
The “nightmarish folklore tale” is written and to be directed by Stephen Cognetti, tcreator of the Hell House franchise. Production is set to begin in September and Caplan of C2 Motion Picture Group will finance.
As we revealed last month, Manifest is the new sales firm from former Miramax and WME Independent execs Zhuang and Glueck. The company is backed by QC Entertainment and Gramercy Park Media.
Said: Caplan: “Stephen has consistently proven he can create terrifying, elevated immersive horror experiences. With Emma in the lead, A Body in the Woods is an undeniable package.”
“Emma brings an intelligence and emotional fearlessness that elevates everything she touches,” added writer-director Stephen Cognetti. “She understands horror on a cellular level—how to balance vulnerability, strength, and terror. My goal with A Body in the Woods is to deliver an elevated horror film that tests the limits of fear—not just for our lead character, but for the audience sitting in the dark with her. I want people to leave the theater unsettled, questioning what they saw, and feeling like they survived something.”
Manifest commented: “We’re honored to be working with a producer that has the pedigree of Dave Caplan and a director with a consistent track record of terrifying audiences around the world.”
Roberts’ credits also include Holidate, Scream Queens, and box office hit We’re the Millers. She is a co-producer on Hulu series Tell Me Lies.
Roberts is repped by Sweeney Entertainment; Cognetti is repped by Anonymous Content.