The serial killer thriller To Catch a Killer is a project we first heard about way back in May of 2019, which is when Shailene Woodley (Divergent) signed on to star in and produce the film. More than a year and a half later, Ben Mendelsohn (Captain Marvel) and Jovan Adepo (the Watchmen TV series) we cast alongside Woodley right before production began on the film that was then known as Misanthrope. Two more years down the line, a trailer for the retitled project has arrived online, and you can check it out in the embed above. To Catch a Killer is scheduled to reach theatres on April 21st.
Directed by Damian Szifron from a script he wrote with Jonathan Wakeham, To Catch a Killer has the following synopsis: A modern-day Clarice Starling, Eleanor (Shailene Woodley) is a young police investigator wrestling with the demons of her past when she is recruited by the FBI’s chief investigator (Ben Mendelsohn) to help profile and track the work of a disturbed individual. As the police and FBI launch a nationwide manhunt, they are thwarted at every turn by the individual’s unprecedented behavior. Given her tortured psyche, Eleanor may be the only person who can understand the mind of their assailant and bring him to justice.
Woodley and Szifron produced the film with Stuart Manashil and FilmNation Entertainment’s Aaron Ryder. FilmNation financed the production, and the company’s CEO Glen Basner believes this could be “a decade defining film”.
Woodley explained what drew her to To Catch a Killer: “Screenplays like this, that are this well executed both in theme and tone, are rare to come by with a director like Damian behind the wheel. I have complete trust we will create something that will have a profound impact on cinema and will resonate with audiences, especially given the times we are living in right now. I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of this team.“
I’m not sure why To Catch a Killer took such a slow journey to the screen (I suspect the pandemic had something to do with it), but I’m glad to see it’s finally going to be making its way out into the world. The trailer looked interesting to me, so I’ll definitely be watching this movie.
What did you think of the trailer? Will you be watching To Catch a Killer? Let us know by leaving a comment below.