Production on New Line Cinema’s IT: Chapter 2 completed last month in Toronto and breakout actress Sophia Lillis isn’t going to break her streak of starring in darker material as highlighted by her next project.
TheHollywoodReporter recently revealed last month that Sophia’s next project will be a reimagining of the classic Hansel and Gretel fable from the Brothers Grimm, but told in the framing of a period thriller. Titled Gretel and Hansel, the film will seemingly place Sophia Lillis’ Gretel in the driver’s seat.
The story is described as being set a long time ago in a distant fairytale countryside and focuses on a young girl who leads her little brother into a dark wood in desperate search of food and work, only to stumble upon a nexus of terrifying evil.
Filming is said to begin very soon in Ireland with Osgood Perkins set to direct.
We’ve now learned that the film has hired two key crew members to their production team. El Vigilante cinematographer Galo Olivares has joined the thriller and he recently worked on Alfonso Cuaron’s awards contender Roma in a smaller capacity. Also, production designer Jeremy Reed, whose credits include Hard Candy, My Dinner With Hervé, and worked with Perkins on the Netflix film I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House.
I’m curious if we’ll end up seeing some sort of Brothers Grimm version of The Witch, but that’s just a personal hope for the moment. We’ll likely get more clues to what their actual aim is here once set photos and footage start making their way online. There should be some official casting news coming very soon for the supporting roles.
UPDATE: Deadline now reports that Black Mirror actor Charles Babalola has taken the role of The Hunter in the film.
Orion Pictures has yet to give Gretel and Hansel an official release date.
Sophia’s IT: Chapter 2 will be out in theaters on September 6th, 2019.
SOURCE: HN ENTERTAINMENT
