Finn Wolfhard, Steven Spielberg Making Horror Movie
After starring in Stranger Things, It, and It Chapter Two, Finn Wolfhard seems determined to cement his place in horror history. He is teaming up with Steven Spielberg to create a movie titled The Turning based on The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. Here are some of the details surrounding this exciting upcoming film.
Finn Wolfhard, Steven Spielberg – Masters of Horror
The film was directed by Floria Sigismondi, a fitting choice for the project as she previously directed terrifying videos for the early Marilyn Manson songs “The Beautiful People” and “Tourniquet.” Since then, she has created eerie videos for other artists like Katy Perry and David Bowie. The film was shot in Ireland and will be released on January 24th, 2020.
When asked to describe the plot of the movie by The Chicago Tribune, Wolfhard said, “It’s about this governess who takes care of this family on this giant estate and she kind of starts to go crazy. Or is she going crazy? That is the question.” Actresses who often star in horror films are called scream queens; Wolfhard may become one of the few – and arguably the most prominent – scream kings of our time.
The film isn’t just a return to the horror genre for Wolfhard and Sigismondi, but for Spielberg as well. While the director is mostly known for his special effects-driven blockbusters and historical dramas, he also directed two 1970s horror classics: Duel and Jaws.
Much like The Turn of the Screw, both of those films rely on suspense rather than fake gore or jump-scares. The director also produced one of the most iconic horror films of the 1980s, Poltergeist. Spielberg’s other horror work includes an episode of Rod Serling’s popular anthology series, Night Gallery, and a segment from The Twilight Zone: The Movie.
The ‘Haunting of Hill House’ connection
The movie’s source material, The Turn of the Screw, was first published in 1898, but it appears to be more popular than ever – at least within the film industry. Bloody Disgusting reported that Hollywood is producing two more screen adaptations of the novella in the coming months. The forthcoming second season of the horror series The Haunting of Hill House, titled The Haunting of Bly Manor, is also adapted from James’ book. Both The Haunting of Hill House and The Turning are products of Spielberg’s production company, Amblin Entertainment.
The third upcoming adaptation of the book, which is called Turn of the Screw, will be produced by Sony Pictures Television. This version of the tale is a modernized soap opera set in the Pacific Northwest, whereas the book is set in Victorian England. Since the book is so short, it’s likely that both of the television adaptations will have to expand upon their source material to fill out an entire season. It will be fascinating for fans of James’ work to see what these shows have to add to the original story.
It’s not clear why Hollywood has become so interested in James’ classic novel at this time. The fact that the story still has the power to scare modern audiences is a testament to James’ prowess as a writer. Hopefully, Steven Spielberg and his contemporaries will introduce James and his ghost stories to a younger generation.
