Scott Cooper has had an up and down career, but one thing he’s always been able to do is put together amazing casts. He helped lead Jeff Bridges to his first Oscar win with Crazy Heart, has worked with Christian Bale on both Out of the Furnance and Hostiles, and cast Johnny Depp in Black Mass. His latest film, the Guillermo Del Toro-produced Antlers doesn’t boast quite the same level of star power, but it also sounds like his best shot at connecting with mainstream audiences in a way he never has before.
Production has now begun on the horror film, Antlers, which already boasts Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons as the headliners. Joining the cast now are Jeremy T. Thomas, Graham Greene, Scott Haze, Rory Cochrane, and Amy Madigan, an impressive group to be sure and a lot of people Cooper has worked with previously. The story, penned by Henry Chaisson & Nick Antosca, follows an Oregon teacher and her brother, the local sheriff, who become entwined with a young student harboring a dangerous, possibly supernatural secret.
This is new territory for Cooper, but he’s got the right team behind him to make it a success. Del Toro’s involvement is huge, and his name carries a ton of weight after his Best Picture-winning The Shape of Water. No word on an Antlers release date but it will probably be in 2019.
