Jade Pettyjohn, George Lopez and Joel McHale Join Survival Horror Thriller ‘JUNKYARD’
Jade Pettyjohn, George Lopez and Joel McHale to Star in Survival Horror Thriller ‘JUNKYARD’
Jade Pettyjohn, George Lopez and Joel McHale have joined the cast of JUNKYARD, an upcoming independent horror thriller from filmmaker Dan Riesser. The project will bring together the three performers for a survival story involving a secluded scrapyard, a pack of trained attack dogs and a confrontation that quickly escalates beyond its original circumstances.
According to Deadline, production is scheduled to begin in Atlanta in spring 2027, with Riesser directing from a screenplay he co-wrote with Mike L. Kinshella.
The film follows Sam, portrayed by Pettyjohn, a determined young woman who enters an isolated junkyard with a group of misfit friends in search of something she has lost.
What initially appears to be a risky trespassing expedition becomes a fight for survival when the group encounters a pack of aggressive, highly trained guard dogs controlled by the property's mysterious owner, played by Lopez.
As the friends attempt to escape, their situation becomes increasingly dangerous with the arrival of a corrupt local sheriff, portrayed by McHale, whose involvement introduces another threat to the already desperate circumstances.
The premise places JUNKYARD within the tradition of contained survival horror, using an isolated location and a limited group of characters to establish an escalating confrontation between vulnerable intruders and the individuals controlling their environment.
Rather than relying on supernatural creatures or conventional masked killers, the film centers its immediate physical threat on trained animals, with the human antagonists adding another layer of danger.
The combination of a hostile setting, predatory animals and corrupt authority figures establishes a scenario in which the characters must contend with both physical threats and the intentions of those responsible for their predicament.
Riesser previously co-wrote and directed STOMPING GROUND, a 2014 independent comedy-drama involving a Bigfoot expedition. His television background also includes work as an Emmy-nominated director and producer on E! Entertainment's THE SOUP during McHale's tenure as host between 2005 and 2015.
JUNKYARD will reunite Riesser and McHale professionally, although this time in a scripted horror production rather than the entertainment commentary format associated with their earlier collaboration.
Pettyjohn, who takes the lead role as Sam, has appeared in the Hulu limited series LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE and more recently in television productions including GREY'S ANATOMY, THE ROOKIE, DOCTOR ODYSSEY and MONSTER.
Lopez, widely recognized for his stand-up comedy and the sitcom GEORGE LOPEZ, has also appeared in feature productions including DC's BLUE BEETLE. His role as the scrapyard owner introduces him as one of the central antagonists in the upcoming thriller.
McHale, whose credits include COMMUNITY and the Fox comedy series ANIMAL CONTROL, will portray the corrupt sheriff. The casting places the actor in a more threatening role than those associated with much of his television comedy work.
The film will be produced by John Moss of Firebook Entertainment, whose credits include EVERY HEAVY THING, alongside Jason Arsenault of A SMALL FORTUNE and Jason Scott Goldberg, associated with the horror film GLORIOUS.
Jaime Gallagher will serve as co-producer while overseeing casting.
Although specific details regarding the film's visual approach, supporting cast and production schedule have not been disclosed, the announced storyline suggests an emphasis on pursuit, confinement and the reversal of power between the intruders and those controlling the junkyard.
The involvement of trained guard dogs also distinguishes the premise from many contemporary survival thrillers, recalling earlier animal-attack films while incorporating a crime-thriller element through the characters played by Lopez and McHale.
With production expected to begin next spring, JUNKYARD remains in the early stages of development ahead of filming.
No distributor, theatrical release date or streaming platform has been announced.
JUNKYARD is scheduled to begin production in Atlanta in spring 2027, with additional casting and release details expected as the project moves forward.
JUNKYARD sounds like an intense, tightly contained survival thriller with a standout cast! Seeing comedic icons like George Lopez and Joel McHale step into menacing antagonist roles—alongside Jade Pettyjohn fighting to escape a secluded scrapyard guarded by trained attack dogs—promises plenty of gritty suspense when filming kicks off in spring 2027.
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