More than five years after the director Jordan Downey’s much-acclaimed The Head Hunter made its way to Shudder, the filmmaker finally has a new film in the works. According to a press release, Downey has teamed with Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood, Daredevil) for a new horror/thriller called The Cycle. The film is to be directed by Downey from a script he co-wrote with Kevin Stewart, who also worked on Head Hunter. Woll is set to star in the lead role, marking her return to horror.
The project is being shopped to buyers at Cannes. James Harris and Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions are on board to produce, with The Exchange executive producing and handling international sales. Shudder has already acquired distribution rights for The Cycle in the U.S., Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. The film is currently in pre-production with plans to shoot later this year. So, what’s this one about? The brief logline reads as follows:
“In the film, when the body of a man missing for thirty-six years is discovered at the scene of a horrific crime, it’s up to his estranged daughter to unravel his dark past.”
Woll is no stranger to the horror genre. Though best known for her work in Marvel’s Daredevil show, she played Jessica on True Blood for the show’s lengthy run. She also starred in both Escape Room and Escape Room: Tournament of Champions. But this marks her return to the genre and offers her a chance to take the lead in a horror film from a director who has demonstrated some real vision. Harris had this to say about it:
“We are so excited about The Cycle, Jordan has crafted such an original story that is gonna excite audiences. For us he has the ability to be the next great genre film maker and we can wait to make the movie.”
Speaking of Downey, The Head Hunter was made for just $30,000, yet boasted impressive visuals and inventive storytelling. Following its festival premiere in 2018, the film eventually found success on streaming, particularly once it hit Shudder. It seems the streamer was happy with the results as they’ve decided to get into business with Downey and Stewart once again. The only real shame is that it took five years form them to get another film going. This is certainly a better late-than-never situation though.
The Cycle does not currently have a release date but stay tuned.
