Netflix casts Pride and Prejudice star in 'pulse-pounding' horror based on 'chilling' book
A beloved British actor who starred in the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice has signed up for a chilling new project
Pride and Prejudice star Rupert Friend will lead a thrilling new horror film from Frankenstein director Guillermo del Toro and Netflix.
The British actor portrayed George Wickham in Joe Wright’s 2005 adaptation of the Jane Austen classic.
He is also known for roles in major films such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Asteroid City, and recently appeared in Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
Friend is next set to star in The Boy in the Iron Box for Netflix, which is based on the Amazon Original Stories novella series by del Toro and Chuck Hogan.
Writer-director David Prior, who helmed the 2020 cult horror film The Empty Man, will direct the upcoming feature film.
Joining Friend is a stellar cast including It star Jaeden Martell and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Kevin Durand.
Supporting cast includes Aksel Hennie (The Martian), Arnas Fedaravičius (The White Lotus), Chris Petrovski (Ray Donovan), Eugene Prokofiev (NCIS: Los Angeles), Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson (Succession) and Julian Kostov (The White Lotus).
An ominous synopsis for the upcoming supernatural thriller reads: “Flying dark, a plane carrying a team of mercenaries crash-lands on a remote snowy summit.
“When they come across a maze-like stone fortress, it’s no refuge from the wolves and the freezing winds. It’s more like a trap.
“What they discover can stop the heart — or worse. As terror takes on a new shape, the real battle for survival begins.”
There’s currently no release date for The Boy in the Iron Box, but Netflix has confirmed production is about to start.
Streamers could therefore expect the Netflix original feature to arrive at some point in late 2026 or early 2027.
In the meantime, del Toro and Hogan’s six short stories in their creepy collection are available on Amazon.
Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan.
This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Monster: The Ed Gein Story.
Plus, director Prior’s feature debut The Empty Man is streaming on Disney+ for horror fans who want a preview of the horror to come.
One five-star Google review called it “an ambitious tale of cosmic horror, with countless creative, intriguing, and of course terrifying ideas that are all pulled off brilliantly.”
And another claimed: “Easily one of the best horror movies of the decade thus far.
“If you're on the fence, you NEED to check it out. You won't be sorry.”
The Boy in the Iron Box does not yet have a release date.