Emile Hirsch and Justin Long have joined the cast for Lice, a "disturbing" horror film set in the 1980s.
As per Variety, the pair will star alongside Kevin Connolly in Jonathan Bensimon's "gruesome throwback" to "80s high school classics", with the film described as a mashup between Lord of the Flies and The Breakfast Club.
As per the logline, Lice will take place amid a "parasitic outbreak" at a Long Island high school, with the premises being placed under "military lockdown". Disaster ensues, however, with the "itch-crazed" students turning on each other in a "desperate" struggle to survive.
Hirsch, who has starred in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Into the Wild, will play a "burned-out" science teacher who finds a "new purpose" as he investigates the "bloodthirsty mites".
Long, who recently starred in Goosebumps, will play the principal who is described as "out of his depth" and "soon out of his mind". Entourage star Connolly will portray a "tenacious" and "desperate" detective on the outside of the school, with the cop in a "race against time".
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"I wanted to make the kind of movies that I loved as a kid," said Connolly, who will also produce the film, in a statement. "I’m a horror fan and I wanted to make something for guys like me - fun, weird, scary, and completely unpredictable.
"It made perfect sense to launch our feature division with a project this bold and ambitious. Jonathan is that rare combination of creative mind and brilliant technician. And when you get two incredible actors who can blend comedy and drama the way Emile and Justin can, you’ve really got something special on your hands."
"Kevin sent me a script that was a real pager turner and with him and [writer] Shaun Harris we turned it into a pulpy horror feature with a cast that deftly mixes darkness and levity to create something truly unique," added Bensimon.
"I’m especially excited to collaborate with Kodak and Cinestill, blending stylistic techniques, to design visuals to give Lice a signature look," continued the director, who will also serve as the cinematographer for the project.
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In additional statements, producer Jeremy Alter described Lice as "stylish, visually arresting, and hilariously disturbing", while fellow producer Gary Goldman shared that Lice contained a "great concept" that was a "core fear for most parents".
Harris is being assisted on the script by co-writer Anthony Musella, with production set to begin this week in Canada. There is no release date for the horror film yet, though it has been confirmed that Highland Film Group will handle the international rights.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
