The Undertaker’s Children: Ann Dowd has sinister plans for two orphans in high concept thriller

Ann Dowd has over 100 screen acting credits to her name, but she’s probably best known these days for playing the character Aunt Lydia Clements on The Handmaid’s Tale. Now Variety reports that Dowd has signed on to star in a high concept thriller called The Undertaker’s Children, which will mark the feature directorial debut of Alex Gayner. Gayner previously served as second unit director on projects like Hotel Artemis, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, and Too Old to Die Young.

For The Undertaker’s Children, Dowd takes on the role of

a secretive undertaker forced to take in two orphans. When her sinister plan for getting rid of the kids in her care is revealed, the children plan a daring escape and find themselves facing evil forces. 

Natasha LePetit wrote the film’s screenplay.

Gayner is producing The Undertaker’s Children with Chayah Masters and Caddy Vanasirikul of The Exchange. The Exchange will be presenting the project to potential buyers at the Cannes film market later this month. 

The Exchange’s Nat McCormick described The Undertaker’s Children as

a commercial high concept thriller with incredible twists and turns. And who better to play this mysterious, complex lead than Ann Dowd who has proven her incredible talent portraying characters ranging from the dark psyche of Handmaid’s Aunt Lydia to the grief-stricken mother in Mass. Audiences are going to love this on many levels!”

In addition to The Handmaid’s Tale and Mass, Dowd’s credits include Lorenzo’s Oil, Philadelphia, It Could Happen to You, Apt Pupil, The X-Files, Law & Order, Garden State, The Manchurian Candidate, The Notorious Bettie Page, Flags of Our Fathers, The Informant!, Compliance, Side Effects, True Detective, Masters of Sex, Captain Fantastic, The Leftovers, Good Behavior, and Hereditary.

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