The Imitation Game breakout and all-round rising star Alex Lawther is coming hot off one of, if not the bleakest episodes of Black Mirror to date – and that’s truly saying something, given how dark Charlie Brooker’s anthology series tends to be – but Deadline brings word that the young Brit will remain firmly in thriller territory for Ghost Stories.
Shooting on the supernatural pic is now underway, according to Deadline, with Lawther starring opposite Paul Whitehouse, Andy Nynam, Sherlock stalwart Martin Freeman and George MacKay. Jeremy Dyson (The League of Gentlemen) is directing from an Olivier-nominated stage play, one he penned with co-writer Nyman after he headlined the original theater production.
Often compared to The Woman in Black for its brooding tone, Ghost Stories will have Nyman take point as Phillip Goodman, a “professor of psychology and arch-skeptic” who finds his scientific knowledge put to the sword when he receives a letter apparently from beyond the grave. And therein lies the hook to Dyson’s ghastly tale. Claire Jones (Sightseers, Kill List) and Robin Gutch are attached to produce, with Lionsgate handling distribution in the UK. Further details on the film’s release plans were not disclosed at this time.
From the horrors of online harassment to the paranormal, Alex Lawther is officially on board for Ghost Stories. Production is now underway, too, and we’ll keep you updated as this one inches closer to a theatrical release.
