The Boys' Erin Moriarty andThe Twilight Saga’s Jamie Campbell Bower have been cast inTrue Hauntingas Edwin and Marsha Becker, a Chicago couple who took part in the world’s first televised exorcism.True Hauntingis based on the novel of the same name, written by half of the haunted couple thehorrorfilm will focus on.
In 2019, news broke that Screen Gemswas developing a story about Edwin and Marsha Becker who, in 1971, made news when they publicly declared their Chicago house was haunted. This claim would culminate in the first-ever televised exorcism.
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Additional news on the upcominghorrorfilm had been non-existent until the casting of Moriarty and Bower as the Chicago couple was announced yesterday by Deadline. The upcoming film will be directed by Gary Fleder, known forKiss the Girls. Moriarty and Bower, the two young actors cast in the leading roles, have shown they’re capable of handling paranormal subjects in their previous works. Bower portrayedan ancient vampire inTwilightand aShadow Hunter inThe Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, while Moriarty is currently starring as the Superhero Starlight in Amazon’sThe Boys.
Not too much is known aboutthe upcoming horror movieat this time, other than the casting of Moriarty and Bower and the fact that the film is based on the book by Edwin Becker. Becker’s 2011 novel chronicles the events surrounding his paranormal experiences and is available on Amazon. The novel has been a modest success and has a 4.5-star rating, but the subject of hauntings based on true stories rarely fails to draw audiences.
The success of films based on true paranormal events has a long history that goes back decades, with films likeTexas Chainsaw Massacre, and continues to this day with franchisessuch asParanormal Activity.True Haunting, similar to those that have come before it, is likely to draw attention.
The notoriety of being the first paranormal case to lead to a televised exorcism certainly will not hurt the marketing campaign for the upcoming film. Additionally, horror fans seem to like films concerning ghosts and ghouls that are set within the world of the 1970s, such asThe ConjuringandThe Amityville Horror.
True Hauntingis currently in development.
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