Emma Roberts Descends Into Folk Horror With A Body in the Woods From Hell House Director and Longlegs Producer
Emma Roberts leads A Body in the Woods, plunging into folk horror with Hell House franchise director Stephen Cognetti and the producer behind Longlegs on board.
Stephen Cognetti is stepping out of the Abaddon Hotel and into the trees. The Hell House LLC filmmaker is teaming with Longlegs producer Dave Caplan for a new folk-horror movie called A Body in the Woods, with Emma Roberts set to star. It sounds stripped-down, period-set, and mean in exactly the way you want a campfire story to be.
The project
Cognetti wrote the script and will direct A Body in the Woods, described as a nightmarish folklore horror tale. Roberts, fresh off multiple stints in American Horror Story, will lead the film. Production is slated to start in September, with financing from Caplan through C2 Motion Picture Group. Manifest Pictures is handling pre-sales at the European Film Market.
The story
Roberts plays Alice Lincoln, living at the turn of the century in the remote Marshall Woods, where locals whisper about a vengeful witch. When Alice is left alone at her isolated cabin to keep vigil over the body of an unidentified mine worker, strange disturbances make her suspect the corpse is not exactly at peace. Then a silent woman appears at the forest road. From there, Alice is boxed in by two threats: the growing evil inside the cabin and the nameless terror waiting just beyond the door.
"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."
- Dave Caplan
"Emma brings an intelligence and emotional fearlessness that elevates everything she touches. 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."
- Stephen Cognetti
Where this leaves Hell House
Cognetti has written and directed every entry of the found-footage Hell House LLC series and just put out a new installment. He has hinted that might be the last ride for now, and possibly the scariest.
- Hell House LLC (2015)
- Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel
- Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire
- Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor
- Hell House LLC: Lineage (recently released; teased as a potential final chapter)
A Body in the Woods sounds like Cognetti tightening the screws on a single-location nightmare, with Roberts anchoring the spiral. If the film makes good on that premise, expect a nasty little chiller with real staying power. More soon as the production heads into the woods.