The Cabin in the Woods
Encyclopedia
The Cabin in the Woods is an upcoming American tongue-in-cheek
thriller-horror film
, co-written and directed by Drew Goddard
and co-written and produced by Joss Whedon
. It stars Chris Hemsworth
, Richard Jenkins
, Bradley Whitford
and Amy Acker
.
and Whitford
will play white-collar co-workers
with a mysterious connection to the cabin. A group of college kids spend a weekend at a mysterious cabin in the woods.
and Fran Kranz
both had roles on Joss Whedon
's latest television series Dollhouse
. Tom Lenk
had a recurring role on Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as appearing on the spin-off series, Angel
, in which Acker also had a regular role.
The project began filming in March 2009 and completed on May 29, 2009 shooting in Vancouver
, British Columbia
, Canada
. Joss Whedon co-wrote the script with Cloverfield
screenwriter Drew Goddard
, who also directed the film, marking his directorial debut. Goddard previously worked with Whedon on both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel as a writer.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy on November 3, 2010, but the movie will still be released as one of MGM's last pre-Spyglass films in development; the film will be released in April 2012.
reported the following: "New (MGM) chief executives Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum are seeking to sell both (a) Red Dawn (remake) and the horror film The Cabin in the Woods, the last two pictures produced under a previous regime, as they try to reshape the 87-year-old company." A distribution sale to Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation was announced on April 28, 2011, with some industry news outlets reporting plans for a Halloween 2011 release. On July 20, 2011, Lionsgate announced that they had acquired the distribution rights to the film and set a release date of April 13, 2012.
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
thriller-horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, co-written and directed by Drew Goddard
Drew Goddard
Drew Goddard is an American film and television screenwriter and producer best known for his collaborations with Joss Whedon and J.J. Abrams .Goddard joined the crew of Lost as a freelance writer for the first season in 2004...
and co-written and produced by Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
. It stars Chris Hemsworth
Chris Hemsworth
Chris Hemsworth is an Australian actor most notable for portraying Thor in the Marvel Studios film Thor. Hemsworth is set to reprise his role as Thor in the upcoming films The Avengers in 2012 and Thor 2 in 2013. He also starred as Kim Hyde in the Australian soap opera Home and Away...
, Richard Jenkins
Richard Jenkins
Richard Dale Jenkins is an American stage, film, and television actor. After beginning his career in theatre, Jenkins made his film debut in 1974, and appeared in supporting roles in numerous film productions in the 1980s and the 1990s. His breakthrough came in the 2000s for playing the deceased...
, Bradley Whitford
Bradley Whitford
Bradley Whitford is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles as Deputy White House Chief of Staff Josh Lyman on the NBC television drama The West Wing, as Danny Tripp on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, as Dan Stark in the Fox police buddy-comedy The Good Guys, as...
and Amy Acker
Amy Acker
Amy Louise Acker is an American actress. She is best known for her roles on the television series Angel as Winifred Burkle and Illyria and on Alias as Kelly Peyton. She is also known for her role as Dr. Claire Saunders/Whiskey on Dollhouse.-Early life:Acker was born and raised in Dallas, where she...
.
Plot
The Cabin in the Woods provides a new twist on the classic young-people-stranded-in-the-woods horror trope. JenkinsRichard Jenkins
Richard Dale Jenkins is an American stage, film, and television actor. After beginning his career in theatre, Jenkins made his film debut in 1974, and appeared in supporting roles in numerous film productions in the 1980s and the 1990s. His breakthrough came in the 2000s for playing the deceased...
and Whitford
Bradley Whitford
Bradley Whitford is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles as Deputy White House Chief of Staff Josh Lyman on the NBC television drama The West Wing, as Danny Tripp on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, as Dan Stark in the Fox police buddy-comedy The Good Guys, as...
will play white-collar co-workers
White-collar worker
The term white-collar worker refers to a person who performs professional, managerial, or administrative work, in contrast with a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labor...
with a mysterious connection to the cabin. A group of college kids spend a weekend at a mysterious cabin in the woods.
Cast
Confirmed cast members:- Richard JenkinsRichard JenkinsRichard Dale Jenkins is an American stage, film, and television actor. After beginning his career in theatre, Jenkins made his film debut in 1974, and appeared in supporting roles in numerous film productions in the 1980s and the 1990s. His breakthrough came in the 2000s for playing the deceased...
as Steve Hadley - Bradley WhitfordBradley WhitfordBradley Whitford is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles as Deputy White House Chief of Staff Josh Lyman on the NBC television drama The West Wing, as Danny Tripp on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, as Dan Stark in the Fox police buddy-comedy The Good Guys, as...
as Richard Sitterson - Jodelle Ferland Jodelle FerlandJodelle Micah Ferland is a Canadian actress, best known for her portrayal of Sharon and Alessa in the 2006 horror film Silent Hill, Mary Jensen in the 2004 miniseries Kingdom Hospital and her portrayal of Bree Tanner in the The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.-Life and career:Ferland was born in Nanaimo,...
as Patience Bruckener - Jesse WilliamsJesse Williams (actor)Jesse Williams is an American actor and model. He is known for his role as Dr. Jackson Avery on the ABC series Grey's Anatomy and as Lena's boyfriend Leo in the film sequel The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2...
as Holden McCrea - Chris HemsworthChris HemsworthChris Hemsworth is an Australian actor most notable for portraying Thor in the Marvel Studios film Thor. Hemsworth is set to reprise his role as Thor in the upcoming films The Avengers in 2012 and Thor 2 in 2013. He also starred as Kim Hyde in the Australian soap opera Home and Away...
as Curt Vaughan - Anna HutchisonAnna HutchisonAnna Hutchison is a New Zealand actress. She is known for her roles on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street and American series Power Rangers: Jungle Fury...
as Jules Louden - Keith DavidKeith DavidKeith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
as The Director - Fran KranzFran KranzFrancis Elliott Kranz is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Topher Brink in Joss Whedon's science fiction drama television series Dollhouse.-Early life:...
as Marty Mikalski - Kristen Connolly as Dana Polk
- Brian J. WhiteBrian J. WhiteBrian Joseph White is an American actor, dancer, football player, lacrosse player, stock broker and youth activist.-Personal life:...
as Alex Truman - Amy AckerAmy AckerAmy Louise Acker is an American actress. She is best known for her roles on the television series Angel as Winifred Burkle and Illyria and on Alias as Kelly Peyton. She is also known for her role as Dr. Claire Saunders/Whiskey on Dollhouse.-Early life:Acker was born and raised in Dallas, where she...
as Wendy Lin - Tom LenkTom LenkThomas Loren "Tom" Lenk is an American stage and television actor best known for his recurring role as Andrew Wells in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel.-Early life:...
as Ronald - Tyler Onassis as Nosferatu
- Patrick GilmorePatrick Gilmore (actor)Patrick Gilmore is a Canadian actor best known for playing the role of Dale Volker in the science fiction series Stargate Universe. He has also been seen in other science fiction shows such as Battlestar Galactica and Eureka, as well as playing Trennan in Riese...
as Wrangler - Chelah HorsdalChelah HorsdalChelah Horsdal is a Canadian actress and model.-Life and career:She grew up in the Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver with her mother, Lindsay. Her father is the folk singer Valdy...
as Demo Girl - Peter KelamisPeter KelamisPeter Kelamis is an Australian-born Canadian actor and comedian.-Life and career:Kelamis was born in Sydney, Australia of Greek origin. In 1985, Kelamis enrolled in the University of British Columbia...
as Demo Guy - Kayden KesslerKayden KesslerKayden Kessler is an American actor.First acting experience was an uncredited appearance in the movie The Stepfather alongside Penn Badgley. Since then he has starred in several more movies and guest starred in a few TV series...
as Ashton Douglas - Patrick SabonguiPatrick SabonguiPatrick Sabongui is a Canadian actor and stuntman who has made his career as an actor, stunt performer, theatre actor and drama teacher. He also spent several years working live stunt shows in Southern California.-Life and career:...
as Elevator Guard
Production
Amy AckerAmy Acker
Amy Louise Acker is an American actress. She is best known for her roles on the television series Angel as Winifred Burkle and Illyria and on Alias as Kelly Peyton. She is also known for her role as Dr. Claire Saunders/Whiskey on Dollhouse.-Early life:Acker was born and raised in Dallas, where she...
and Fran Kranz
Fran Kranz
Francis Elliott Kranz is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Topher Brink in Joss Whedon's science fiction drama television series Dollhouse.-Early life:...
both had roles on Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
's latest television series Dollhouse
Dollhouse (TV series)
Dollhouse is an American science fiction television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon under Mutant Enemy Productions. It premiered on February 13, 2009, on the Fox network and was officially cancelled on November 11, 2009. The final episode aired on January 29, 2010...
. Tom Lenk
Tom Lenk
Thomas Loren "Tom" Lenk is an American stage and television actor best known for his recurring role as Andrew Wells in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel.-Early life:...
had a recurring role on Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as appearing on the spin-off series, Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
, in which Acker also had a regular role.
The project began filming in March 2009 and completed on May 29, 2009 shooting in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Joss Whedon co-wrote the script with Cloverfield
Cloverfield
Cloverfield is a 2008 American disaster-monster film directed by Matt Reeves, produced by J. J. Abrams and written by Drew Goddard.The film follows six young New Yorkers attending a going-away party on the night that a gigantic monster attacks the city...
screenwriter Drew Goddard
Drew Goddard
Drew Goddard is an American film and television screenwriter and producer best known for his collaborations with Joss Whedon and J.J. Abrams .Goddard joined the crew of Lost as a freelance writer for the first season in 2004...
, who also directed the film, marking his directorial debut. Goddard previously worked with Whedon on both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel as a writer.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy on November 3, 2010, but the movie will still be released as one of MGM's last pre-Spyglass films in development; the film will be released in April 2012.
Release
It was slated for wide release on February 5, 2010 and then delayed until January 14, 2011 so the film could be converted to 3D. However, on June 17, 2010, MGM announced that the film would be delayed indefinitely due to ongoing financial difficulties at the studio. On March 16, 2011, the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reported the following: "New (MGM) chief executives Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum are seeking to sell both (a) Red Dawn (remake) and the horror film The Cabin in the Woods, the last two pictures produced under a previous regime, as they try to reshape the 87-year-old company." A distribution sale to Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation was announced on April 28, 2011, with some industry news outlets reporting plans for a Halloween 2011 release. On July 20, 2011, Lionsgate announced that they had acquired the distribution rights to the film and set a release date of April 13, 2012.