John McNaughton, the helmer behind the controversial cult classic 1986 horror film Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and the infamous 2001 thriller Wild Things, has signed on to direct his next movie, breaking his eleven year sabbatical from cinema.
Variety says that beginning production in New York imminently is The Harvest, a psychological horror thriller made for under $10 million that finds Michael Shannon and Samantha Morton among its cast. Written by Stephen Lancelloti, the movie follows a married couple (Shannon & Morton) with medical backgrounds and a sick son (Charlie Tahan) who lives secluded in a controlled environment until a young girl (Natasha Calis) moves in next door and gives him hope of a better life. As the teens grow closer, the tight-knit world his over-protective mother has created begins to unravel. Leslie Lykes and Meadow Williams also have supporting roles. Steven A. Jones, Kim Jose, David Robinson and Williams herself are producing. McNaughton, who also helmed the notable early 90's comedy/drama Mad Dog and Glory, revealed to Variety why he was attracted out of his long absence from film to direct The Harvest; "This is the first horror script I've been interested in in 25 years, so it's kind of cool to return to the genre," "I got the script a few years ago and loved the story, which is dark and has a great twist. It's like a cross between 'Hansel and Gretel' and 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" Living Out Loud Prods. is financing the film, while Elephant Eye Films will handle international sales. The Harvest reportedly spent five years in development before Shannon's interest in the script got the movie rolling, with his involvement convincing Morton to sign on as the pair had a long-vested interest in doing a feature together.