Sean Byrne is a director whose career I’ve been keeping an eye on for a long time – which hasn’t been too difficult to do, because he doesn’t make movies nearly as often as I would like. He made his feature directorial debut in 2009 with The Loved Ones, the story of the worst prom night this side of Carrie. His second feature didn’t come along until 2015, the haunted house movie The Devil’s Candy. Then we had to wait a decade for his third movie, Dangerous Animals, which blended serial killer thrills with shark thrills. Thankfully, it looks like we won’t have to wait too long for his fourth feature, as The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that Academy Award winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter) has signed on to star in Bryne’s serial killer thriller The Mannequin!
Scheduled to start filming this summer, The Mannequin is described as being “an original, violent and blistering high-stakes thriller” of the serial killer procedural variety. Unfortunately, an official synopsis isn’t available at this time.
Byrne will be directing the film from a screenplay he wrote himself.
The Mannequin is coming our way from Studiocanal’s new genre label Sixth Dimension, which is designed for “high-concept storytelling across horror, thriller, action and sci-fi, giving creators a new dimension in which to surprise, shock and entertain.” The company is launching worldwide sales this week in Cannes. They’ll be releasing the film theatrically in their own territories of the U.K., France, Germany, Benelux, Poland, Australia, and New Zealand. Elevation Pictures will release it in Canada.
William Woods and Maddy Falle are producing the film for Page 12 Pictures Inc. while Kristian Moliere does the same for Triptych Pictures. Executive producers include Steven Schneider, Phil Hunt, Compton Ross, Charlie Kemball, and Jed Benedict for Studiocanal’s Sixth Dimension. Head Gear Films packaged the project with Schneider’s Room 101.
Byrne provided the following statement: “After wading through bloodied waters together on Dangerous Animals, I’m thrilled to be alongside my friends at Studiocanal’s Sixth Dimension. I can’t wait to unleash The Mannequin on the big screen. There have been other serial killer procedurals, but this is its own thrillingly deranged beast — twisted, intense, propulsive, and anchored by a fearless performance from Melissa Leo, building to a shocking twist you won’t see coming. It’ll put you on the edge of your seat and keep you there.“
Benedict added, “Nostalgia exists for the best serial killer movies of the noughties for good reason; not only are they brilliantly scary and tense, but they’re meticulously written. With The Mannequin, Sean Byrne has gifted us two unforgettable characters in Charley and Sadie and then thrown them into a fast-escalating nightmare. With the extraordinary Melissa Leo set to star, and a stellar creative team, we at Sixth Dimension can’t wait for audiences to discover Sean’s terrifying manhunt thriller.“
Does The Mannequin sound interesting you? Share your thoughts on this Sean Byrne / Melissa Leo thriller project by leaving a comment below.