Horror legend Shelley Duvall, who played the beleaguered Wendy Torrance inThe Shining, is set to star in a new werewolf film titledThe Forest Hills,whose cast includes Edward Furlong (Terminator 2) and Dee Wallace (The Howling). The film is directed by Scott Goldberg.
Duvall established herself in thehorrorgenre in the iconic role opposite Jack Nicholson’s Jack Torrance in the 1980 horror classicThe Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on the novel by Stephen King. Duvall, who retired from acting afterManna from Heavenwas released in 2002, followed up her performance inThe Shiningin the next two decades in films likePopeye,Time Bandits, and Tim Burton’sFrankenweenie.
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PerDeadline,The Forest Hillsfollows Rico (Chiko Mendez), a man who is tormented by nightmarish visions after enduring head trauma while hiking in the Catskills. Duvall will play Rico’s mother, serving as his inner voice. “We are huge fans ofThe Shiningand it’s honestly one of my favorite horror movies of all time, up there with John Carpenter’sHalloweenand George A. Romero’sDay of the Deadwith the dark tones they delivered in their movies, along with perfect scores and elements that make them my personal favorites,” said Goldberg in a statement. “Shelley contributed toThe Shiningbeing an absolute masterpieceby giving her all, and performing in a way that really showcased the fear and horror of a mother in isolation.”
Duvall, who has openly discussed her own battles with mental illness, is often praised for her performance inThe Shiningfor its emotional resonance and conveying the pure terror of an abused wife under threat from dangers both supernatural and domestic. Her direction under Kubrick inThe Shininghas often been subjected to discussions of abusive treatment and a toxic environment for the actress during filming. Her role as Wendy, however, quickly placed her on the map as a classic horror actress, a role that has been reprised by Rebecca De Mornay in the 1997mini-series adaptation ofThe Shiningand the more recent sequelDoctor Sleep(2019), where Wendy is played by Alex Essoe.
Duvall is not the only horror legend joining the cast ofThe Forest Hills, as Wallace is known for her roles in 1981’sThe Howling. Furlong, who plays Billy, who influences Rico into believing his werewolf powers, is also no stranger to the genre, starring in films likeCruel World(2005),Brainscan(1994), andJames Cameron’sTerminator 2(1991).
The Forest Hillsdoes not have a release date yet.
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