Shudder lands John Lithgow thriller The Rule of Jenny Pen

John Lithgow torments Geoffrey Rush with a disturbing doll and a twisted game called "The Rule of Jenny Pen" in the upcoming psychological thriller of the same name, set to be distributed by Shudder in 2025.

As AMC Networks' premium streaming service dedicated to horror, Shudder is one of the best places for genre fans to keep up with the latest buzzworthy movies and shows. The Rule of Jenny Pen promises to be another exciting addition to Shudder's catalog. While the cast alone is promising between Rush and Lithgow, what has me even more curious about this movie is its director, James Ashcroft, who also co-wrote the film with Eli Kent.

Ashcroft previously made waves with his directorial debut, Coming Home in the Dark, a tense and unrelenting film that boldly takes you places you'd never expect. I'm intrigued to see what Ashcroft cooks up next.

The Rule of Jenny Pen will make its global debut at this year's upcoming Fantastic Fest later this month before making its way to Shudder next year.

Rush, who Pirates of the Caribbean fans will recognize as Captain Barbossa, stars as retirement home resident Judge Stefan Mortensen, who is recovering from a stroke that leaves him partially paralyzed. Mortensen struggles to bond with order residents or even the staff. He clashes with another man, Dave Crealy (Lithgow), a "seemingly gentle" man who delights in playing a sadistic game with a creepy dementia doll.

"What begins as childish torment quickly escalates into far more sinister and disturbing incidents. When Mortensen's pleas to the staff go unanswered, he takes it upon himself to put an end to Crealy's reign of terror," teases the synopsis.

Lithgow is no stranger to the horror genre, having previously starred in the 2019 remake of Pet Sematary and earning rave reviews for his chilling performance as Arthur Mitchell, aka the "Trinity Killer," in Showtime's Dexter. If anyone can navigate the fine line between sweet and scary, it's him.

In his director's statement, Ashcroft called Rush and Lithgow "two of [his] acting heroes" and shared his excitement as this partnership with Shudder, along with the opportunity to open Fantastic Fest 2024.

"Shudder has always been groundbreaking in genre cinema, passionately committed to the vision of the filmmaker; I can think of no better home for THE RULE OF JENNY PEN."

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