Katia Winter (Arena) and Ted Levine (Shutter Island) have been tapped to star in writer/director Blair Erickson’s horror film The Banshee Chapter. We first told you about the project earlier this month when it was announced that Zachary Quinto’s production banner, Before the Door Pictures, would make The Banshee Chapter its third feature project. Per the press release, the film will tell the story of a young journalist (Winter) who goes looking for a missing friend (to be played by True Blood‘s Michael McMillian) who “had been experimenting with mind-altering chemicals developed in secret government drug tests.”

The almost always great Levine will make a turn as a “rogue counter-culture novelist” who helps Winter during the course of her search. The Banshee Chapter is scheduled to begin shooting in New Mexico this week. For a little more on the project and Quinto’s Before the Door Pictures, hit the jump to check out the full press release.

In 2008, Zachary Quinto formed the production company Before The Door with Neal Dodson and Corey Moosa.  The company premiered its first feature, Margin Call, at Sundance 2011, and is currently prepping a “found-footage romantic comedy” for a sophomore effort.  Today BTD announced their third feature project, a horror film titled The Banshee Chapter.  Blair Erickson, making his directorial debut, wrote the script about “a young, female journalist who follows the mysterious trail of a missing friend who had been experimenting with mind-altering chemicals developed in secret government drug tests.”  The press release claims the screenplay is “based on real documents.”  Coupled with the based-on-a-true story Margin Call and the “found footage” twist on the rom-com, I think we’ve figured out Before the Door’s M.O.  Quinto said as much in a statement:

“We are excited to branch out in our storytelling.  We’ve produced a movie about the financial crash and an innovative, grounded romantic comedy. The Banshee Chapter is an opportunity for us to tackle another film with its roots in reality, but through the lens of horror.”

I’m not complaining.  All three projects sound more ambitious than your average studio fare — I’m glad to see Quintot putting his Heroes/Star Trek power to good use.  Read the full announcement after the break.