Emma Roberts Set to Star in Creepy Folklore Horror A BODY IN THE WOODS
Emma Roberts is heading back into the horror genre, and this time it sounds especially creepy. The American Horror Story star has signed on to headline A Body In The Woods, a new supernatural horror film coming from producer Dave Caplan, whose recent credits include Longlegs and The Monkey.
The film puts Roberts in the role of Alice Lincoln, a woman living at the turn of the century, isolated deep within the Marshall Woods. The area is steeped in folklore and whispered stories of a dangerous witch, which already feels like a bad place to spend the night.
Things spiral fast when Alice is left alone at a remote cabin, tasked with keeping watch over the body of an unidentified mine worker. Strange disturbances begin creeping in from the darkness, pushing her to believe the corpse may not be fully at rest.
When a silent woman appears at the edge of the forest road, Alice finds herself trapped in a waking nightmare, caught between the growing evil inside the cabin and the nameless terror waiting just outside her door.
The project is described as a “nightmarish folklore tale” and will be written and directed by Stephen Cognetti, the filmmaker behind the Hell House franchise. Production is scheduled to kick off in September, with Caplan financing the film through C2 Motion Picture Group.
Caplan clearly sees this as a strong creative pairing, saying, “Stephen has consistently proven he can create terrifying, elevated immersive horror experiences. With Emma in the lead, A Body in the Woods is an undeniable package.”
Cognetti added, “Emma brings an intelligence and emotional fearlessness that elevates everything she touches. She understands horror on a cellular level—how to balance vulnerability, strength, and terror.
“My goal with A Body in the Woods is to deliver an elevated horror film that tests the limits of fear—not just for our lead character, but for the audience sitting in the dark with her. I want people to leave the theater unsettled, questioning what they saw, and feeling like they survived something.”
A Body In The Woods also marks the first feature being launched by new U.S. sales company Manifest Pictures. The company is led by former Miramax and WME Independent executives Yvette Zhuang and Zach Glueck, and pre-sales are already underway at the European Film Market in Berlin.
Manifest shared, “We’re honored to be working with a producer that has the pedigree of Dave Caplan and a director with a consistent track record of terrifying audiences around the world.”
Roberts continues to build an eclectic career that bounces between genres. Alongside American Horror Story, her credits include Scream 4, Scream Queens, Holidate, and the box office hit We’re the Millers.
With A Body In The Woods, she’s stepping back into a stripped-down, atmospheric horror flick.
Source: Deadline