It was only last month that we were telling you Vincenzo Natali, helmer of the very underrated sci-fi horror films “Splice” and “Cube,” was set to roll on his next film, "Haunter," with “Little Miss Sunshine” star Abigal Breslin. We did predict that it would have to be a rather quick production, as the maturing Breslin has been gaining significant traction in her career with a lot of gritty and promising roles in projects like the upcoming Brad Anderson-directed flick “The Hive,” a sex comedy entitled “Virgin Mary,” and her first major blockbuster in the highly-anticipated Orson Scott Card adaptation “Ender’s Game.” So yeah, "Haunter" is already underway and now we have our first look.
Admittedly, the image isn’t much to look at, with Breslin glaring at a bronze key in her role as a ghost by the name of Lisa who passed away under mysterious circumstances in her house in 1986. Trapped along with the spirits of her other family members, she attempts to reach out to the new inhabitants to help them avoid the same fate that befell her in this reverse ghost story. It is intriguing to see that Breslin doesn’t look very ghostly at all in this image, granted it could be from a pre-death scene or perhaps Natali is aiming to make the spirits of the “Haunter” world closer to that of the living. Wild Bunch is handling the international sales of the film at Cannes, hence the image's debut, with “Splice” and “Ginger Snaps” producer Steve Hoban overseeing the currently-shooting film for his Copperheart Entertainment.
Breslin is off to film Anderson’s “The Hive” in June along with Halle Berry, so we’d imagine production on this one is coming to a close, and we’re certainly intrigued to see what Natali cooks up in his unconventional ghost tale. As for the “Splice” helmer, once he finishes this up, he'll be moving on to the adaptation of William Gibson's "Neuromancer," which Empire recently reported has added monster producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, with a planned fall shoot lined up, and a 2013 release being eyed. [Deadline]
