Get ready, horror fans! Ella Hunt, the star of the fantastic zombie musical comedy Anna and the Apocalypse, is set to headline a new horror thriller called Bella. And this isn't just any project; it's being produced by the very writers of The Conjuring – Chad and Carey Hayes!
I'm a huge admirer of Ella Hunt's work, especially in Anna and the Apocalypse. So, I'm always excited to see her take on new roles. She's also appeared in Kevin Costner's Horizon and Jason Reitman's Saturday Night, where she played Gilda Radner.
Deadline broke the news, and Bella sounds like it's right up our alley. The film will be the first project for the newly established Hayes Brothers Films production banner. The story, penned by Chris Grillot, centers around a college student (Hunt) obsessed with winning her university's beauty pageant. As the pressure mounts from her overbearing mother and a mysterious stalker, she begins to unravel. The race is on for her to uncover the stalker's identity before the pageant.
This marks the feature directorial debut of Dylan Doornbos Hayes, Chad Hayes’s son, who has experience directing several short films. Interestingly, one of those shorts, created in 2019, was also called Bella and was written by Chris Grillot. It seems this film is a feature-length expansion of that concept.
The Hayes brothers will be producing the film alongside Mandy June Turpin of Iron North Productions, Daniel Ragussis of Atomic Features, and Todd Slater of Convoke Media. Bella is being produced in association with Kontakto Films, with executive producers including Kontakto’s Isabel Echeverry and Ricky Russert of Atomic Features. Red Sea Media is handling the financing and world sales.
Ella Hunt shared her excitement, saying she was immediately drawn to the psychological unraveling of the young woman. Dylan Hayes added that the story is about beauty, control, and what happens when the mask cracks. The Hayes brothers stated they are thrilled to launch their banner with this incredible story. They recognized something rare in Chris Grillot’s script.
But here's where it gets controversial...
Do you think the writers of The Conjuring can bring their horror expertise to a beauty pageant setting? What are your thoughts on Ella Hunt's casting? Let us know in the comments below! We're eager to hear your opinions!
