Things are about to get grimmer up north, as the brains behind Manchester’s premiere horror film festival are now filming a scary movie of their own – starring some of the UK’s finest acting talent.
Shooting began at the weekend for Grimm Up North chief and film director Simeon Halligan’s second horror outing White Settlers – and it was confirmed yesterday that Lee Williams will join the cast.
Williams, known for his work in The Tudors, The Forsythe Saga and New Street Law, will take the male lead role alongside horror queen Pollyana McIntosh, of The Woman fame.
Producer Rachel Richardson-Jones said: “It’s been a dream of mine to create a mini Hollywood style studio here in Manchester.
“We are so excited to be working with Pollyanna McIntosh and Lee Williams – both are so talented.
“I think the combination of them together, along with Ian Fenton’s nail gripping script and director Simeon Halligan’s visual flair and style, means this is going to be a great picture.”
The film depicts the troubled adventures of a couple as they begin the first night of their new lives in the countryside.
Wanting to get away from their stressful London lives, they move to a farmhouse in remote Scotland – but they soon find it’s not the idyllic location they had first envisaged.
Halligan started shooting in the Peak District on Sunday, and White Settlers will premiere at Manchester’s annual cult and horror film festival GrimmFest in the autumn.
Ms Richardson-Jones added: “We’ve assembled a crew of the industry’s finest – Keith McNamara in the camera department who’s worked on Gladiator and Casino Royale, and Paul Boyce on make-up whose credits include Harry Potter and War Horse.
“We have distribution in place and are already generating international interest in the project.”
Described as a ‘supernatural terror ride’, White Settlers is said to be a classic ‘bumps in the night’ thriller with floorboard creaks and haunting shadows.
White Settlers is Halligan’s second horror movie, after he made his directional debut with Splintered in 2010.
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