The filmmaking duo behind horror hits ‘Starry Eyes’ and the 2019 ‘Pet Sematary’ remake have set their sights on their next spine-tingling movie – ‘The Swallow.’ Directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer will unleash the survival thriller, bringing actress Grace Van Dien of ‘Stranger Things’ fame along for the ride.
Known for psychological horror and gore that gets under the skin, Kölsch and Widmyer wrote the script for ‘The Swallow’ themselves. The premise landed the project on the Bloodlist, an industry survey of the best unmade thriller and horror screenplays. With the help of producers from ‘The Bayou’ and financial backing secured, the movie now heads into production this summer.
In ‘The Swallow,’ Van Dien stars as Ziggy, one of five friends embarking on a camping trip in a remote, off-limits forest. But after trespassing into the verdant woods, the teens awaken a ravenous evil from deep within the earth itself. The very ground begins swallowing everything it touches, forcing Ziggy’s group to flee through the trees on unsteady feet. One false step could trigger the land to consume them whole in this non-stop adrenaline rush of primal horror.
Kölsch and Widmyer promise ‘The Swallow’ will never release its vice-like grip on viewers. Calling it “one extended set piece of tension and primal horror that just keeps ratcheting up,” the directors dare audiences to endure until the final frame. If their previous work is any indication, squirm-inducing practical effects and an oppressive atmosphere await those braving this backwoods nightmare.
With ‘Starry Eyes’ and their ‘Pet Sematary’ reinvention highlighting their skills, Kölsch and Widmyer have the pedigree to bring visceral scares. And in Grace Van Dien, ‘The Swallow’ boasts a young lead who cut her teeth battling demonic horrors in ‘Stranger Things.’
For fans of relentless supernatural thrillers like ‘Wrong Turn’ and ‘The Blair Witch Project,’ ‘The Swallow’ promises a brisk, bloody journey into the unknown. Its simple but effective concept – the forest itself swallowing victims into the dirt – brings intense claustrophobia. Will Ziggy and friends escape the woods before the insatiable earth consumes them completely? Find out when ‘The Swallow’ emerges from the shadows, fanged roots and all.
