Queen of Bones, a folk horror film currently in development in Canada, will star Jacob Tremblay (winner of the Critics’ Choice and Screen Actors Guild Awards, respectively), Martin Freeman (winner of the Emmy and BAFTA Awards, respectively), Julia Butters, and Taylor Schilling. According to Deadline, Butters (who plays Lily) and Tremblay (who plays Sam) star as siblings in the upcoming film Queen of Bones. Their story begins in 1931, when they join their father, Malcolm (Freeman), on a rural Oregon property. The two kids find an Icelandic magic book in the basement of the house and begin to wonder whether it has something to do with the strange death of their mother and the presence of evil spirits in the woods.
In an effort to get their father and his buddy Ida May, to tell the truth, the two join forces (Schilling). The film’s director, Robert Budreau, will be working from a story written by Michael Burgner, who also authored 2010’s The Darkest Corner of Paradise. Following their successful collaborations on Delia’s Gone, Stockholm, and Born to Be Blue, Productivity Media and Budreau have decided to reunite for another film project.
In addition to Productivity, Lumanity Productions, run by Budreau and Appian Way, will be involved in the staging of Queen of Bones. Jennifer Davisson and Michael Hampton of Appian Way, Budreau of Lumanity Productions, and William G. Santor, Doug Murray, and Ryan Reaney of Productivity Media are all listed as producers on the future project. “I am pleased to be working with such a terrific ensemble to bring this amazing folk horror story set during the Great Depression to life,” Budreau remarked. “Working with Appian Way and my former colleagues at Productivity Media fills me with equal levels of enthusiasm.”
Santor also issued a commentary on the new casting, echoing Budreau’s earlier comments:
We’re thrilled to have Robert back at the helm for another Productivity Media video. We’re excited to be working with him and Appian Way, who have won awards and are terrific collaborators since he has a fantastic creative voice. Most people recognise Tremblay from his performance as Jack in the Lenny Abrahamson drama Room, but he has also recently lent his voice to the title character in Pixar’s Luca, not to mention appearances in Doctor Sleep and The Predator. Netflix’s My Father’s Dragon and Disney’s upcoming The Little Mermaid animation are both in production.
Freeman has appeared in a wide variety of films, including Black Panther, Cargo, and Captain America: Civil War, but he is most remembered for his role as Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit movie. He has also been in Sherlock, Fargo, and the British version of The Office in addition to his current role as the lead in the FX series Breeders. Both Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Disney+’s Secret Invasion have him reprising his role as Everett K. Ross. The filming of Queen of Bones has begun.