True Haunting - What We Know So Far
Sony's Screen Gems is currently working on a new based-on-true-events horror film, following up its most recent endeavor, 2022's "The Invitation" (via Bloody Disgusting), called "True Haunting." The film is based on the book of the same name by Edwin Becker.
According to Deadline, Gary Fleder is set to direct with Blair Butler working on revisions from Richard D'Ovidio's screenplay. Fleder has been working as a director since the early '90s and his credits include episodes of "Tiny Pretty Things," "Kingdom" and "Life Unexpected" (via IMDb). Butler's most recent writing credit is the aforementioned "The Invitation," with other credits dating back to her 2005 work at G4TV, while D'Ovidio's recent credits include 2021's "Hypnotic" and 2014's "The Forger." Cindy Cowan is acting as producer.
So, for those interested in checking out another film based on terrifying true events, here's everything we know about "True Haunting" — including release date, cast and plot.
When will True Haunting be released?
According to Bloody Disgusting, "True Haunting" will be released to theaters on January 6, 2023.
As of now, details on production are quite sparse, so it's unclear if filming has begun or not. But seeing as the release date is now only a few months away, it's safe to assume that production has likely already started, or possibly even wrapped. To gauge where "True Haunting" may be at in its production, we can look at the latest Screen Gems film, "The Invitation," which began filming in September 2021, then was released in August 2022 (via KFTV). We also know that the stars of "True Haunting" were announced in February of 2022, as reported by Deadline, so it's safe to say, based on the timeline of "The Invitation" that production likely started shortly after the casting news for "True Haunting." Regardless of its production schedule, fans don't have long to wait for the film.
Who's in the cast of True Haunting?
Speaking of the film's cast, Deadline reported in February 2022 that Erin Moriarty and Jamie Campbell Bower had been cast as the leads in "True Haunting." Moriarty is likely best known for portraying Annie January, aka Starlight, in the popular Amazon Prime series "The Boys," a role which she has been playing since 2019 (via IMDb). Moriarity's other notable credits include playing Hope Shlottman in "Jessica Jones" and playing Audrey Hart in Season 1 of "True Detective."
Meanwhile, Bower has most recently portrayed Henry Creel/One/Vecna in the fourth season of "Stranger Things" and is set to return for the fifth (via MovieWeb). "Stranger Things" was not Bower's first project with a major fanbase, however — the actor also played Young Grindelwald in both "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" and "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald," as well as playing Caius in three films of "The Twilight Saga" (via IMDb).
Finally, according to IMDb, the rest of the cast of "True Haunting" consists of Harriet Slater, Emma Gojkovic, Ian Shaw, Ann Mitchell, and Leonardo Taiwo, among others.
What is the plot of True Haunting?
According to Deadline, "True Haunting," which is based on a true story, follows Ed (Jamie Campbell Bower) and Marsha Becker (Erin Moriarty) as they discover that their newly purchased home is haunted by ghosts of the family who lived there before them — and died in the house. When the Beckers seek out an exorcist to help them, the exorcism becomes the first to ever be televised and millions tune in. However, the exorcism turns out to make the haunting much worse. "True Haunting" is based on the book of the same name by Edwin F. Becker, which chronicles his personal account of the haunting of him and his wife.
Looking at the book's Goodreads page gives those interested a bit more insight into what we may be able to expect from the film, such as the fact that it takes place in 1971. Further, the description reads, "Follow a young couple with a newborn as they attempt to cope with inexplicable events, experience denial, plead for help from their Church, and step into the world of the paranormal."
Stay tuned for more information about "True Haunting" as it becomes available.