Upcoming high school horror “Lice” — about a parasitic invasion of lice that hits Long Island — has added a couple of names to its cast.
Emilie Bierre (“A Colony,” “Teacup”) and rising star Joelle Farrow (“This is Not a Test,” “SkyMed”) have joined Emile Hirsch, Justin Long and Kevin Connolly in the feature, described as a horror mashup of “The Breakfast Club” and “Lord of the Flies” and first announced by Variety in Cannes.
“Lice,” which recently wrapped production in Canada, marks the first feature from Connolly’s ActionPark Productions alongside partner Patrick Marino, and is billed as a “gruesome throwback to ‘80s high school classics.”
Highland Film Group is repping international rights, having launched sales at the Marché du Film.
Director/cinematographer Jonathan Bensimon makes his feature directorial debut with a script written by Anthony Musella and Shaun Harris (“The Hemingway Thief”), from an original concept by Connolly. The film is produced by Connolly, Jeremy Alter, and Gary Goldman, who recently collaborated on “Entourage” creator Doug Ellin’s “Ramble On,” which starred Charlie Sheen, Connolly and Kevin Dillon.
“Lice” follows a deadly outbreak of the parasite at a Long Island high school in the 1980s. When the school goes under military lockdown, the itch-crazed students turn on each other in a desperate struggle to survive. Hirsch stars as burned-out science teacher Mr. Shanker, who finds new purpose as he investigates the bloodthirsty mites, Long as Principal Van, a man who is out of his depth and soon out of his mind, and Connolly as the tenacious Detective Sikorski, the desperate cop on the outside racing against time to contain the outbreak before it consumes the entire town.
“I was thrilled to be asked to join this ride,” said Bierre, who won the Canadian Screen Award (Canada’s Academy Award) for best actress for her breakout performance in “A Colony.” “What immediately drew me in was Jonathan’s unique vision for the film — it’s creepy, imaginative, and completely unexpected. I’m very excited for all horror fans to discover what we’ve been working on.”
Added Farrow, who plays a pivotal role in the chaos: “This has been such a creatively charged and unforgettable experience. It’s been an absolute joy working with Kevin Connolly — his guidance, support, and hands-on collaboration as both an actor and filmmaker have been incredibly inspiring. The energy on set has been electric, and this team is building something really special.”
The ensemble cast also features Riley Davis, Tom Keat, Annamarie Kasper, Cooper Levy, Christian Meer, Gage Munroe, Devyn Nekoda, Sabrina Saudin, and Milton Torres Lara. U.S. casting was handled by Sheila Jaffe and Bryan Riley. Canadian casting was led by Sara Kay.
Bierre is repped by Thruline Entertainment and the Gersh Agency. Farrow is represented by Julia Schneider at Ambition Talent and Steve Smith at Stagecoach Entertainment
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