Emma Roberts to Star in Folk Horror A Body in the Woods From Longlegs Producer
- Horror Movies Uncut
- 10 hours ago
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Emma Roberts Set to Star in Folk Horror A Body in the Woods From Longlegs Producer
Per Deadline, and as we reported earlier today on The Final Cut, Emma Roberts is officially set to star in the folk-horror feature A Body in the Woods, a nightmarish period-set tale backed by Manifest Pictures, the newly launched U.S. sales outfit making its debut at this year’s European Film Market.
The project comes from producer Dave Caplan, whose recent genre credits include Longlegs and The Monkey. Caplan will finance the film through C2 Motion Picture Group, with production slated to begin this September.
Written and directed by Stephen Cognetti, creator of the Hell House franchise, A Body in the Woods is described as a “nightmarish folklore tale” set at the turn of the century.
Roberts will star as Alice Lincoln, a woman living alone deep within the Marshall Woods — an area long haunted by legends of a menacing witch. When Alice is tasked with keeping vigil over the body of an unidentified mine worker at her remote cabin, strange disturbances begin to unfold. As the night wears on, Alice is pulled into a waking nightmare, caught between a growing evil inside the cabin and an unnamed terror lurking just beyond her door.
“This is an undeniable package,” said Caplan. “Stephen has consistently proven he can create terrifying, elevated immersive horror experiences. With Emma in the lead, A Body in the Woods is exactly the kind of film audiences are hungry for.”
Cognetti echoed that sentiment, emphasizing Roberts’ deep understanding of the genre. “Emma brings an intelligence and emotional fearlessness that elevates everything she touches. She understands horror on a cellular level — how to balance vulnerability, strength, and terror. My goal is for audiences to leave the theater unsettled, questioning what they saw, and feeling like they survived something.”
A Body in the Woods also marks the first title under the Manifest Pictures banner, a new sales company founded by former Miramax and WME Independent executives Yvette Zhuang and Zach Glueck, and backed by QC Entertainment and Gramercy Park Media.
Roberts’ genre résumé continues to grow, with credits including American Horror Story, Scream 4, Scream Queens, and We’re the Millers. She also serves as a co-producer on Hulu’s Tell Me Lies.
With its period setting, folkloric dread, and a proven horror team behind the camera, A Body in the Woods is shaping up to be one of the more intriguing genre packages launching at EFM — and one we’ll be keeping a very close eye on.