Hey, you. Remember how chilling Gone Girl was? Well, if you’re an uber-fan of the writer Gillian Flynn’s twisted mind and penchant for true crime-influenced sinister storytelling, then you’d do well to pick up her other two books: Dark Places and Sharp Objects.
And while the lazy of you might rejoice that Dark Places has been turned into a film, so you can watch it instead of reading the book, there’s a catch. The film’s UK release date is still unconfirmed, so you’ll definitely have time to read the book before the film even comes out. So, this is what we know so far – without giving you (m)any spoilers about the eerie flashback-driven thriller about what might or might not be a massacre at the hands of a Satanic cult.
1. Christina Hendricks is playing Charlize Theron’s mum, but that’s not as fucked up as it seems
‘I walked on set and they had just lost their lead to play Charlize’s mum. They said, “Would you consider taking on this role?” and I froze.’ Christina told James Corden on his Late Late Show. As strange and fucked up it is for Hollywood to get a 40-year-old to play a 39-year-old’s mum, Christina is playing Charlize’s character’s mum in the flashback scenes. Charlize’s character, Libby Day, will be played as an eight-year-old in the flashbacks by Sterling Jerins who is 11. And, really, without giving any more away, there is no doubt that Christina and Charlize will not be playing mother and daughter in the same scenes.
2. Nicholas Hoult’s got a fan in Charlize
Playing the nerd who provokes Libby into questioning her previously-held beliefs about how her family was killed, Nicholas has charmed Charlize (who co-produced the film) with his acting skills. ‘I really wanted to do something with him, and Nick and I always joked on the set of Fury Road that we really didn't get to do much in that film, we were just stuck in the same environment.’
‘So when this came, this was one of the first things I read afterwards, and I immediately thought of him.’
4. The film’s morbid plot struck a chord with Charlize...
Remember that Charlize’s mum, a victim of domestic violence, killed her father in self-defence? Charlize feels this similarity between her story and Libby’s, telling Entertainment Tonight, ‘My character goes through this event when she’s eight years old, and it literally is examining what trauma does to a child, especially when she’s expected to speak about it. And that’s definitely something I can relate to, that’s definitely something I’ve experienced in my life.’
5. It’ll come out in the UK one day
Premiering in America last night, the hope is that some day soon it’ll be available over here to watch.
6. There’s a reason for Charlize’s Bieber hair
Charlize explained why Libby (who’s tiny and ginger in the book) has short hair in the film. ‘That was my Mad Max grow-out. I was like, ‘We’re shooting in 24 days, in Shreveport [Louisiana], with humidity, I do not think we’re gonna be talking about a wig right now.’
7. Here’s the trailer
Yeah, we’re pretty excited, too. ESPECIALLY when you consider this story – written before Serial’s first series came out – has so many similarities to the unpicking of Serial. Except, well, this one has an answer at the end. And that’s all we’re saying. Really. We’re done now…
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.