Filming has commenced on the adaptation of the Gillian Flynn novel Dark Places.  Written and directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner (Sarah’s Key), the film stars Charlize Theron as a woman who, at the age of 7, survives the massacre of her family and testifies against her brother as the murderer.  Years later, when confronted by a group obsessed with solving notorious crimes, Theron’s character is forced to confront the truth about what she saw—or didn’t see.  The film is told in a series of flashbacks and features an impressive cast that includes Chloe Grace Moretz, Nicholas Hoult, Christina Hendricks, Corey Stoll (House of Cards) and Mud breakout Tye Sheridan.

In addition to the announcement that filming is underway in Shreveport, Louisiana, it was announced that Sterling Jerins (World War Z) and Shannon Kook (The Conjuring) have joined the cast in supporting roles, with Jerins playing the younger version of Theron’s character.  Hit the jump to read the full press release.

dark-places-book-cover

Here’s the press release:

‘DARK PLACES’ BEGINS PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY 

STARRING CHARLIZE THERON, NICHOLAS HOULT, CHLOË GRACE MORETZ,

CHRISTINA HENDRICKS AND COREY STOLL  

EXCLUSIVE MEDIA FINANCES AND CO-PRODUCES

WITH CUATRO PLUS FILMS, DENVER AND DELILAH,

HUGO PRODUCTIONS AND MANDALAY VISION  

Los Angeles, CA (August 30 2013) – DARK PLACES, the film adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s best-selling novel  starring Oscar winning actress Charlize Theron (SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMEN, PROMETHEUS, MONSTER), Nicholas Hoult (ABOUT A BOY, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, JACK THE GIANT SLAYER ), Chloë Grace Moretz (upcoming CARRIE, HUGO, KICK-ASS), Emmy Award nominated actress Christina Hendricks (MAD MEN, DRIVE), Corey Stoll (MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, HOUSE OF CARDS), and Tye Sheridan (upcoming JOE, MUD, TREE OF LIFE),commenced principal photography this week on location in Shreveport, Louisiana.

DARK PLACES is written and directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner (SARAH’S KEY), and is co-financed by Exclusive Media and Cuatro Plus Films. Exclusive Media is producing withStephane Marsil of Hugo Films, Charlize Theron’s Denver and Delilah Productions partners Beth Kono and AJ Dix; and Mandalay’s Cathy Schulman and Matt Rhodes. Exclusive Media’s Matt Jackson will produce, with the company’s Guy East, Nigel Sinclair, Tobin Armbrust and Alex Brunner Executive Producing. Peter Safran will also serve as an Executive Producer.

DARK PLACES tells the story of Libby Day (Theron), a woman who, at the age of 7, survives the massacre of her family and testifies against her brother as the murderer. Twenty-five years later, a group obsessed with solving notorious crimes confronts her with questions about the horrific event.  Told in a series of flashbacks from the points of view of Libby's mother, Patty, and her brother, Ben, Libby is forced to revisit that fateful day and begins to question what exactly she saw - or didn't see - the night of the tragedy.

Rounding out the cast alongside Theron, Hoult, Moretz, Hendricks, Toll and Sheridan are supporting cast members Sterling Jerins (WORLD WAR Z, THE CONJURING) who will play Young Libby and Shannon Kook (THE CONJURING).

The novel Dark Places was published in 2009 and was listed on The New York Times Best Seller List for more than 25 weeks.  The book was also shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award and won the Dark Scribe Magazine Black Quill Award for Dark Genre Novel of the Year.  Gillian Flynn is one of today’s leading suspense writers with her current novel, Gone Girl, spending eight weeks at No. 1 on the hardcover fiction best-seller list of The New York Times.  Gone Girl has sold more than two million copies in print and digital formats.

Charlize Theron is repped by WME, Moretz is repped by WME and 3 Art, Hoult is repped by UTA and 42 and Christina Hendricks is repped by Kritzer Levine Wilkins Griffin Nilon Entertainment and ICM, Corey Stoll is repped by WME, Shannon Kook is repped by DBA and Gary Goddard & Associates, Tye Sheridan is repped by Mosaic and WME, Sterling Jerins is repped by ICM Partners, Principle Entertainment, and Bloom Hergott Diemer, LLP, and Andrea Roth is repped by Domain Talent and Industry Entertainment.