Strange Darling: Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner cat & mouse thriller set for August theatrical release

A year and a half ago, it was announced that Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner – who both have experience working in the Scream franchise, as Fitzgerald was in the Scream TV series and Gallner appeared in the 2022 Scream movie – were set to star in the “cat and mouse thriller” Strange Darling. Now we know when we’re going to have a chance to see this movie, as Variety has confirmed that veteran producer Bob Yari’s new company Magenta Light Studios has secured the U.S. distribution rights to the film and they’re planning to give it a wide theatrical release on August 23rd.

Plot details on this thriller are being kept under wraps, and Variety notes that reviews from audience members who saw the movie at Fantastic Fest last year ” hint that the film works best with as little information as possible going in.” Apparently it has something to do with a spontaneous hookup gone terribly wrong.

Strange Darling was written and directed by J.T. Mollner (Outlaws and Angels), and filming took place in Portland, Oregon. The film was produced by former Miramax CEO Bill Block, Chris Ivan Cevic, Steven Schneider, Roy Lee, and actor Giovanni Ribisi, who also served as the director of photography.

Fitzgerald and Gallner were joined in the cast by Oscar nominee Barbara Hershey (The Entity) and Emmy nominee Ed Begley Jr. (Better Call Saul). According to IMDb, the cast of the film also features Madisen Beaty (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Bianca A. Santos (Ouija), Steven Michael Quezada (Breaking Bad), Eugenia Kuzmina (Bad Moms), Denise Grayson (The Social Network), and Duke Mollner – who happens to be the director’s father, and also had a role in Outlaws and Angels.

Bob Yari told Variety, “We are thrilled to be bringing nationwide theatrical audiences this unique and exceptional film with terrific performances by Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner. This second feature from talented writer-director JT Mollner is destined to become a cult classic that defies conventional storytelling.“

Kyle Gallner is a genre regular whose credits also include Red, The Haunting in Connecticut, Jennifer’s Body, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Red State, The Walking Dead, The Cleanse, Alien Code, Ghosts of War, Smile, The Passenger; Mother, May I?; and the upcoming Smile sequel. Willa Fitzgerald doesn’t have as many horror credits as Gallner, but she was in the Netflix series The Fall of the House of Usher, which was headed up by Mike Flanagan.

Are you interested in Strange Darling, and are you glad to hear the movie is getting a wide theatrical release in August? Let us know by leaving a comment below.