Scott Derrickson’s Sinister made waves last year as a clever horror flick with an actor from outside the genre taking the lead. The Ethan Hawke vehicle, made on a modest $3 million budget brought in $77 million worldwide. The production company behind Derrickson’s breakout film, 2005’s The Exorcism Of Emily Rose, are hoping to recapture that successful formula.
Screen Gems have partnered up with the director for his next project Beware The Night and now, The Hollywood Reporter has news that Community star Joel McHale is in final talks to join the cast.
McHale will drop his comedic schtick for the flick. He’s set to play the seasoned cop partner to Eric Bana’s troubled police officer who investigates a series of crimes rooted in the supernatural. The role will mark quite the departure for McHale. His resume so far features funny guy roles; so this latest news is an inspired casting choice.
Based on an original script by Derrickson and Paul Harris Boardman, his writing buddy on The Exorcism Of Emily Rose, Beware The Night ventures into similar paranormal territory. Bana leads as a New York City street cop, who is at the receiving end of the devil’s wrath after abandoning his faith. The devil ain’t gonna be all horns and fire this time. Instead he’ll appear in the form of a possessed soldier played by Prometheus‘ Sean Harris.
Olivia Munn and Edgar Ramirez are also on board. Munn will play Bana’s wife and she’s clearly got the chops for it. Ramirez is set to play a renegade priest who joins forces with Bana’s cop to assist him in his journey. Well, there’s demonic possessions afoot. You definitely need a priest for that.
Beware The Night is currently shooting in New York, with a release date likely for the start of 2015.