Nicolas Pesce To Direct eOne Horror Film ‘Visitation’; Olivia Cooke & Isla Johnston To Lead
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Olivia Cooke (House of the Dragon) and Isla Johnston (The Queen’s Gambit) are set to lead the new Nicolas Pesce-directed horror film Visitation. Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones), Penelope Wilton (Downton Abbey), and Stephen Rea (Interview with the Vampire) will also star.
Entertainment One, Rumble Films, and Blinder Films will produce the project written by Helen Gaughran. Principal photography begins in Ireland on January 9.
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Visitation follows 14-year-old Maria who is sent away to live with Catholic nuns when her mother is sick and dying. But Maria’s arrival slowly turns sinister as one of her caretakers becomes enamored with her for all the wrong reasons.
Cooke will play a nun who is central to the story. The remaining character descriptions are being kept under wraps.
David Lancaster and Stephanie Wilcox of Rumble Films will serve as producers alongside Katie Holly of Blinder Films. Jillian Share, Courtney Cunniff, and Chanel Vidal are overseeing for eOne.
Zachary Galler serves as director of photography and casting was overseen by Louise Kiely, whose credits include Banshees of Inisherin.
Pesce made his directorial debut with the award-winning 2016 Sundance feature The Eyes Of My Mother. This was followed up by the midnight title Piercing at Sundance in 2018 starring Christopher Abbott and Mia Wasikowska. He was also behind the most recent reboot of The Grudge. He is repped by UTA, Entertainment 360, and Nelson Davis.
Visitation is Gaughran’s first feature film and it has already received acclaim winning the 2019 Script Pipeline Screenwriting contest and First Look contest. She is represented by UTA.
Cooke portrays Queen Alicent Hightower in HBO’s hit fantasy drama series House of the Dragon which was renewed for a second season in August. She previously starred in the Oscar-nominated Sound Of Metal, 2021’s Little Fish, and Apple’s Slow Horses. She is repped by CAA, Grandview, The Artist Partnership, and attorneys Huy Nguyen and Gretchen Rush.
Johnston’s credits include The Queen’s Gambit, Invasion, and Life After Life. She is represented by UTA and The Artists Partnership.
Allen previously starred in HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones, Steven Knight’s SAS Rogue Heroes, and the Academy Award-winning film Jojo Rabbit. He is represented by CAA, Untitled Entertainment, and The Artists Partnership.
Wilton’s credits include Downton Abbey, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and Eternal Beauty. She is represented by Independent Talent Group.
Rea’s credits include Greta, V For Vendetta, and The Crying Game for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He is represented by CAA, Independent Talent Group in London, and managed by Sue Leibman at Barking Dog Entertainment.
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