Back in July, Djimon Hounsou signed on to star in a shark thriller called Beneath the Storm alongside Phoebe Dynevor (Bridgerton) and Whitney Peak (Hocus Pocus 2), with Tommy Wirkola (Violent Night) writing and directing for Sony Pictures and producers Adam McKay and Kevin Messick of HyperObject Industries. While we wait to hear more information about that project, Hounsou is already moving on to another interesting film, one called The Monster. Deadline reports that Darren Lynn Bousman will be directing the film from a screenplay by Jonathan Bernstein and James Greer, the writers of Steven Soderbergh’s Unsane.
The Monster is set to begin filming in Danbury, Connecticut in November. The story follows two millennials who make quick money by leasing incredible New York City apartments they don’t own to people who don’t know they are being scammed. The con works brilliantly until they run into an apartment owner with a dark secret who flips the game on them.
Lee Nelson and David Tish of Envision Media Arts are producing the film with Saw franchise producer Mark Burg.
Hounsou’s previous acting credits include Stargate, Amistad, Deep Rising, ER, Gladiator, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life, Alias, Constantine, The Island, Blood Diamond, Eragon, Never Back Down, Push, Guardians of the Galaxy, Furious 7, The Vatican Tapes, The Legend of Tarzan, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Wayward Pines, Same Kind of Different as Me, Captain Marvel, Shazam!, Charlie’s Angels, A Quiet Place Part II, The King’s Man, Black Adam, Shazam!: Fury of the Gods, Gran Turismo, the Rebel Moon films, and A Quiet Place: Day One, among others.
Bousman has a good deal of experience working with Burg, as he’s best known for directing Saw II, Saw III, Saw IV, and Spiral: From the Book of Saw. He has also directed Repo! The Genetic Opera, Mother’s Day, 11-11-11, The Devil’s Carnival, The Barrens, Abattoir, St. Agatha, Death of Me, The Cello, and more.
Burg had this to say about The Monster: “Darren sent me a script with incredible twists and turns and the opportunity to work with him and the brilliant Djimon Hounsou. This movie will be amazing and scare the hell out of audiences worldwide.“
Tish and Nelson added, “We love finding new ways into horror and when we read The Monster we knew it was special. With Djimon and the minds behind one of horror’s biggest franchises, genre fans are in for something fresh and scary.“
Does The Monster sound interesting to you? Share your thoughts on this Djimon Hounsou and Darren Lynn Bousman collaboration by leaving a comment below.