Slasher TV series Dead of Summer adds Elizabeth Mitchell, Elizabeth Lail

Last Updated on July 22, 2021

More casting news has trotted in for summer camp slasher series (say that five times fast) Dead of Summer, one of former ABC Family channel Freeform’s first attempts to branch out from the vanilla reputation it has had in the past. Elizabeth Mitchell (who we just saw in the trailer for THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR) and Elizabeth Lail will join the series, which announced a slew of cast additions last week.

Set in the late 1980s, the show — part coming-of-age story, part supernatural horror story– is set at Camp Clearwater, a seemingly idyllic Midwestern summer camp. Clearwater’s dark, ancient mythology awakens, and what was supposed to be a summer of fun soon turns into one of unforgettable scares and evil at every turn.

According to Deadline, Lail (pictured below) will play the lead role of Amy, a clever but nervous camp counselor who is new to Camp Clearwater. Amy is not unfamiliar with being the new girl in social situations and the pitfalls that come with it, so she tries hard to fit in with the already bonded counselors. As the others reminisce about their past summers at camp, Amy is the first to discover clues that something disturbing is going on at Camp Clearwater.

Mitchell (pictured above) will play Deb, the new owner of Camp Clearwater. Once a camper herself, Deb has her heart set on bringing back the magic of the summer camp she loved. She exudes authority while simultaneously presenting a warm and welcoming vibe. Behind closed doors however, Deb seems to value her control over the camp for a much darker reason.

Both Lail and Mitchell have relationships with Dead of Summer creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis; Lail was Frozen character Anna on their ABC fantasy series Once Upon a Time, while Mitchell was on both that and Lost, which the two writers worked on.