Today, Lexicon announced that they have cast actor Orlando Jones in Dark Forces, the third film from The Timber director Anthony O’Brien who co-wrote the script along with Lexicon co-founders and producers Mark Mathias (Doubting Thomas) and Justin Foia (Point Defiance).
In Dark Forces, “While recovering from brain surgery at a rehabilitation center, acclaimed monster movie director Jerry Graves (Jones) becomes haunted by the ghastly creatures and grisly scenes of his own horror films.”
It’s a huge honor to be directing Dark Forces in and of itself, but to have Orlando Jones as the lead is beyond thrilling,” says O’Brien. “Building the film around him was the easiest decision I could make. Orlando’s multi-talented and intellectually stimulating performances speak for themselves; his turn as ‘Mr. Nancy’ on STARZ’ American Gods provides a perfect example of this. His contribution to DARK FORCES will allow the audience to experience a thoughtful energy and voice that old (and new) fans of the genre can embrace.”
It’s a huge honor to be directing Dark Forces in and of itself, but to have Orlando Jones as the lead is beyond thrilling,” O’Brien says. “Building the film around him was the easiest decision I could make. Orlando’s multi-talented and intellectually stimulating performances speak for themselves; his turn as ‘Mr. Nancy’ on STARZ’ American Gods provides a perfect example of this. His contribution to DARK FORCES will allow the audience to experience a thoughtful energy and voice that old (and new) fans of the genre can embrace.”
Orlando Jones had this to say about Dark Forces:
The year was 1994,” quips Jones. “I was watching Steven Spielberg’s epic SCHINDLER’S LIST. People talk during horror movies, so as the little girl in the red coat walked through the carnage I yelled, ‘trip her!’ A chorus of theatre patrons shushed me. For the record, ‘Shhhh!’ counts as talking. I love the mixed bag of emotions scary movies evoke. DARK FORCES explores the thin veneer of civility that keeps the repressed monster(s) inside all of us at bay. We sincerely hope audiences set their inner demons free while viewing. Viva La Horror. Sorry, Mister Spielberg.”
Not only is Jones currently starring in “American Gods” as Mr. Nancy, the old god Anansi (The Spider), he happens to star in one of my favorite movies ever, 2001’s Evolution in which he plays a geologist in a town overrun with aliens. This is not Mr. Jones’ first journey in the horror genre, he starred as Frank on FOX’s “Sleepy Hollow” series and he appeared as the world’s skinniest man in Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant.
The remaining U.S. casting of Dark Forces is being handled by Barbara J. McCarthy. Lexicon’s Mark Mathias Sayre (The Timber, DOE) will be producing. Jones is listed among the film’s executive producers.
Production is expected to begin in Romania later this summer.
