Jackie Cruz, Penelope Mitchell & Jeff Adler Join Emile Hirsch In Indie Horror Film ‘Woozy’
EXCLUSIVE: Jackie Cruz (Orange Is the New Black), Penelope Mitchell (Oh Canada) and Jeff Adler (Greyhound) will round out the cast of Woozy, the forthcoming indie horror pic marking the feature debut of writer-director Joey Bicicchi, on which we were first to report.
Details as to the roles to be played by the trio haven’t been disclosed. Production on the film is currently underway in New Jersey.
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Woozy is a film that tells of unhealthy coping mechanisms and the battle against fears, depression, phobias, and delusions. Dusty (Hirsch) has deliberately structured his life, through meditation, yoga, boxing, nutrition, and hygiene, to create a clean and safe environment. But what happens when Dusty’s flawless system fails? Out comes Woozy, a horrifying apparition who torments Dusty.
Pic’s producers include Keith Kjarval (upcoming Tin Soldier, Dragged Across Concrete) for Unified Pictures, Lalit Bhatnagar (One Amazing Thing) for Imagination Infinite Productions, Emberlight Studios, and Gary Michael Schultz (What They Had, Rudderless). Jessica Sherman is the film’s casting director.
In a statement to Deadline, producer Bhatnagar said, “Collaborating with Joey on his dream project, Woozy, has been an incredible journey. This film, rooted in his deep passion, offers a fresh perspective on horror by intertwining it with the theme of mental health. Bringing Woozy to life alongside Untied Pictures and Emberlight Studios has been a truly rewarding experience.”
Added producer Kjarval, “Bringing in enormous talents like Jackie, Penelope, and Jeff to pair with Emile is such a tremendous gift to give a film but to collaborate with a talented producer like Lalit makes Joey and I believe we are building an indie dream team.”
Best known for her role as Marisol ‘Flaca’ Gonzales on Netflix’s acclaimed prison-set comedy-drama Orange Is the New Black, Cruz has more recently been seen taking on an arc on NBC’s Good Girls. Film credits include A Nice Girl Like You, opposite Lucy Hale; Lansky, opposite Harvey Keitel; Midnight in the Switchgrass, opposite Bruce Willis; and Panama, opposite Mel Gibson, to name just a few.
Next to be seen in a supporting role opposite Richard Gere in Paul Schrader’s Oh Canada, Mitchell has also appeared in Hellboy, Well Go USA’s recent spider horror pic Sting, Muzzle opposite Aaron Eckhart, and more. In television, her credits include Star Trek: Picard, The Vampire Diaries, and Hemlock Grove.
In addition to films like Greyhound and Beautiful Boy, Adler has been seen on American Horror Stories, Bull, Hightown and numerous other series.
Cruz is represented by Independent Artist Group and Vision Entertainment; Mitchell by IAG and Brillstein Entertainment Partners; Adler by TalentWorks and Kass Management.
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