Radio Silence’s latest feature also stars Kathryn Newton and hits theaters April 19.
The Big Picture
- Melissa Barrera joins an all-star cast in
Abigail
as a mother and medic caught in a vampire kidnapping scheme. - Radio Silence directors bring their horror expertise to update Dracula’s Daughter for a modern audience.
- Look out for dance sequences and comedy in this twist on a classic vampire tale, hitting theaters April 19.
There aren’t enough band-aids in the world for Melissa Barrera’s character in Abigail to carry out her medic duties. In an exclusive to Collider clip, the Scream VI actress delves into her role in Radio Silence’s latest creature feature. Taking on the part of Joey, Barrera explains that her character is a mother and medic, the latter of which is the skill that she brings to the crew of kidnappers. With plenty of money to be gained, Barrera says that Joey is completely unaware when she signs on for the group’s latest mission – one that involves abducting a child. What Joey and the rest of the team don’t know is that this may very well be their last assignment, as the child turns out to be a centuries-old vampire thirsty for blood.
Joining Barrera to form the merry group of unsuspecting and doomed kidnappers is an impressive lineup of names that includes Kathryn Newton (Lisa Frankenstein), Dan Stevens (Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire), Kevin Durand (Real Steel), William Catlett (Charm City Kings), and the late Angus Cloud (Euphoria) in one of his final roles. Playing the little girl with plenty of bark and bite is Alisha Weir, who audiences will recognize as the titular character in Matilda the Musical. While she’ll be dancing and maybe even crooning a song or two, Weir’s character in Abigail couldn’t be any more different than the little girl with telekinetic abilities. Filling out the ensemble cast will be Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad) and Matthew Goode (A Discovery of Witches).
Based on Universal’s 1936 classic piece of horror, Dracula’s Daughter, Abigail updates the twisted tale for a modern audience, with a group of kidnappers unknowingly trapping themselves inside a home with a bloodthirsty vampire. Trailers have teased that this won’t be your average monster movie as there will be plenty of weird dance sequences and comedy in only the way Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett know how to do.
Where Have I Seen Those Directors Before?
Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett, known together as Radio Silence, have long been in the horror game, with their first directorial credits being one of the stories in V/H/S, as well as Devil’s Due and Southbound. It was with 2019’s horror comedy, Ready or Not, that the pair solidified their success, soon thereafter announcing that they would pick up the torch first carried by the legendary Wes Craven and move forward with the Scream franchise. The duo released both the fifth and sixth films before parting with Spyglass Media in order to carry on their production of Abigail. As far as the future is concerned, a sequel for Ready or Not is in the works and Andy Samberg recently revealed that he would be joining the team for a robot comedy project.
Check out our exclusive Abigail clip below and sharpen your stakes, toss on some garlic, and catch the film when it lands in cinemas on April 19.
Abigail (2024)
After a group of criminals kidnap the ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, they retreat to an isolated mansion, unaware that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl.
- Release Date
- April 19, 2024
- Director
- Matt Bettinelli-Olpin , Tyler Gillett
- Cast
- Kathryn Newton , Dan Stevens , Giancarlo Esposito , Kevin Durand , Melissa Barrera , Alisha Weir , Angus Cloud , William Catlett
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- Guy Busick , Stephen Shields
- Studio(s)
- Radio Silence Productions
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures
- Franchise(s)
- Dracula , Universal Monsters
This article was originally published on collider.com