Fans of Neil Marshall's early, gore-soaked work in horror will have been happy last October when news arrived that he was headed back in that direction on cinema screens via The Reckoning, co-written by and starring Charlotte Kirk. Marshall has now rounded up more of the cast, as Sean Pertwee, Joe Anderson, Steven Waddington, Leon Ockenden, Emma Campbell-Jones, Callum Goulden, Suzanne Magowan, Indianna Ryan, Mark Ryan, Oliver Trevena and newcomer Sarah Lambie.
The Reckoning, which the directed scripted alongside Kirk and The Descent's Edward Evers-Swindell, is set against the backdrop of the Great Plague and subsequent witch hunts against women, Grace Haverstock (Kirk) grapples with the tragic death of her husband Joseph (Anderson) in a society completely consumed by fear and death. Because she rejects the advances of her landlord Squire Pendleton (Waddington), she is falsely accused of being a witch and thrown in jail for a crime she didn’t commit. Grace must endure physical persecution at the hands of England’s most ruthless witch-hunter Judge Moorcroft (Pertwee) and face her own inner demons as the devil himself starts to work his way into her mind...
The Reckoning is more than just a movie to me,” Marshall tells Deadline. "It’s a story, based on real events, that needs telling, but most of all it’s a chance for me to return to my horror roots and, just as I did with Dog Soldiers and The Descent before it, scare the proverbial s**t out of audiences around the world! This film is the product of a unique and highly creative collaboration, and I have assembled an incredible array of talent, both in front of the camera and behind, to bring this powerful story to life. So be warned, The Reckoning is coming..." With luck, this could be on screens next year.