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The odd noises in the dark won't be the only thing keeping you up at night when Cobweb releases this summer. Not to be confused with the Korean comedy-drama film directed by Kim Jee-Woon, the American horror thriller directed by Samuel Bodin (T.A.N.K) has been developing for a few years. Lionsgate first acquired the rights for the movie back in 2018 when the script, written by Chris Thomas Devlin (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), was featured on the 2018 Black List. However, production didn't start until September 2020 when Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex) and Antony Starr (The Boys) were cast for the project. All of that has finally led to the official release this year with a story that focuses on Peter, (Woody Norman), a timid boy who discovers the uneasy, mysterious sounds of voices in his bedroom wall that leads him to believe his parents are hiding a dark secret.
To find out the truth of the strange sounds in the walls, read further below for a guide on everything we know so far on Cobweb.
Editor's Note: This piece was updated on June 14, 2023.
When Will Cobweb Be Released?
The horror movie is set for a release date on Friday, July 21, 2023. It will have a runtime of 1 hour and 28 minutes.
Will Cobweb Be in Theaters or Streaming?
Yes, it will premiere exclusively in movie theaters. This date is a rather competitive date for releases as other notable films will be premiering too including Greta Gerwig's Barbie and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. That being said, Lionsgate will be giving the film a limited release and will expand the film into more theaters in the weeks after.
As of writing, there has been no official streaming release date, nor an official streaming platform attached for the film. Previously, it could be expected that Hulu could be the primary platform after a deal was made that allowed Lionsgate films to be on Hulu. However, the deal only ran for two years and expired after 2021 due to Lionsgate acquiring STARZ. Amid all the business politics and deals especially with Lionsgate recently now separating from STARZ, it remains up in the air as to which definitive platform Cobweb will stream on. Stay tuned for the latest updates on this page for when Cobweb will officially be available to stream.
Is There a Trailer for Cobweb?
A trailer for Cobweb was released online by Lionsgate on June 14, 2023. In the trailer we find Peter being haunted by strange noises coming from the walls of his bedroom, which his parents excuse as just part of his imagination. However, as the trailer goes along, we realize that Peter's suspicions may be right, and soon enough his teacher becomes suspicious of Peter's homelife as well.
What Is the Plot of Cobweb?
Cobweb has all the makings of a twisted horror film as we follow a child's perspective of the daunting things that go bump in the night. The official synopsis from Lionsgate reads as follows:
Eight-year-old Peter is plagued by a mysterious, constant tap, tap from inside his bedroom wall -- a tapping that his parents insist is all in his imagination. As Peter's fear intensifies, he believes that his parents (Lizzy Caplan and Antony Starr) could be hiding a terrible, dangerous secret and questions their trust. And for a child, what could be more frightening than that?
The film also draws inspiration from a famous Edgar Allan Poe story called The Telltale Heart. The original short story revolved around a paranoid man who is driven insane by an incessant noise underneath the floorboards of his house. The source of the sound unravels a dark mystery and explores the protagonist's psyche which Cobweb will most likely share, especially with Peter and his parents.
Who Is in the Cast of Cobweb?
The film will be led by Woody Norman who will play Peter, the young boy who becomes aware of voices in the walls of his house. The British child actor is best known for starring opposite Joaquin Phoenix in the film C'mon C'mon. Norman has also appeared in TV series such as Poldark and The War of the Worlds.
He will be joined by Lizzy Caplan and Antony Starr who will play his abusive parents, Carol and Mark respectively. Caplan has been busy with recent projects including the Paramount+ TV adaptation of Fatal Attraction and the 2022 drama series Fleishman Is in Trouble. She even made a brief cameo appearance in the revived third season of Party Down. Meanwhile, Starr has recently featured in the Guy Ritchie film The Covenant and will return to his best-known role as Homelander in the upcoming fourth season of the Prime Video series The Boys.
Cleopatra Coleman also joins the cast as Miss Devine, Peter's substitute teacher. The Australian actress first starred in the apocalyptic comedy The Last Man on Earth and recently featured in the TV miniseries Dopesick and the film Infinity Pool.
Who Made Cobweb?
As mentioned, Samuel Bodin takes the reins as director for the horror film. Bodin earned the project after previously directing and writing the 2019 French horror series Marianne. The film's screenplay is written by Chris Thomas Devlin who also wrote the script for the 2022 installment of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. His screenplay for Cobweb was previously on the 2018 Blood List and Black List, the annual coveted collections of unproduced scripts that caught the attention of industry professionals and have the potential to be developed into a proper project.
The producers for Cobweb include Vertigo Entertainment's Roy Lee (Barbarian), Point Grey Pictures' Seth Rogen (An American Pickle), Evan Goldberg (Joy Ride), and James Weaver (Preacher). Philip Lozano (Marianne) will be the film's cinematographer after previously collaborating with Bodin on past projects.
When and Where Did Cobweb Film?
Filming took place in the Nu Boyana Film Studios located in Bulgaria. Production began in September 2020 and carried over through November.