EXCLUSIVE: Freya Allan, a breakout in the Netflix series The Witcher, is set to star in Baghead for Studiocanal and The Picture Company. Production will begin in the fall in Berlin. Allan stars in the upcoming Studiocanal/The Picture Company action thriller Gunpowder Milkshake for Netflix.

The film will be directed by Alberto Corredor, who directed the short film that was acquired to be turned into a feature length horror film. Christina Pamies and Bryce McGuire wrote the script. Studiocanal will commence worldwide sales at the Cannes Market.

Baghead revolves around a mysterious figure called Baghead, a diminutive wrinkled up person who is able to manifest the dead and bring them back to our world for short intervals. People seek out the mysterious medium to reconnect with lost loved ones. Once in contact with Baghead however, the title character’s true powers and intentions are revealed and there is a high price to pay for its contact with the deceased. The feature transfer will build on that story line and take a Saw-like approach, adding in supernatural elements. Allan will play the film’s lead, who must contend with the evil entity which has deep connections to her family’s past.

The Picture Company partners Alex Heineman & Andrew Rona will produce under their overall deal at Studiocanal, along with Vertigo’s Roy Lee (It) the exec producer with Alibi’s Jake Wagner. Short creators Corredor and Lorcan Reilly will also be exec producers, and Studiocanal’s Ron Halpern, Shana Eddy and Rachel Henchosberg will oversee.

This becomes the latest example where a horror/sci-fi short served as a strong calling card. Recent examples include David F. Sandberg (Lights Out), Andy Muschietti (Mama), and Neill Blomkamp, whose Alive in Joberg became District 9.

Rona and Heineman also produced the short film transfer Come Play at Amblin with Jacob Chase directing, and have set several others set up around town. The producers shoot the Liam Neeson thriller Retribution in Berlin next month and this week they acquired the podcast Shipworm for a feature.

Allan is repped by CAA

Source: Deadline Hollywood