Director Keith Boynton (The Winter House, The Scottish Play) is poised to direct his eighth feature film and first foray into horror this Halloween season with The Haunted Forest, starring seasoned genre star Jamie Bernadette (/ Spit on your Grave: Deja Vu) and newcomer Grayson Gwaze. The movie will be filmed at Markoff’s Haunted Forest in Dickerson/Poolesville, which has recently concluded its 31st season as one of Maryland’s scariest haunts.
The Haunted Forest stars Grayson Gwaze as Zach, a high school senior who, after landing a job as a scare actor at Markoff’s Haunted Forest, becomes the potential victim of a string of real-life murders happening inside the maze itself. Jamie Bernadette stars as Susie, who oversees the haunted forest and its merry band of misfits, alongside her husband, Mark (Cedric Gegel, The Coroner’s Assistant).
Principal photography is set to take place at the actual Markoff’s Haunted Forest attraction, located in Poolesville. Amidst ongoing strike concerns, The Haunted Forest plans to maximize the power of the horror community for its theatrical release. Sane Lake Pictures is partnering with Markoff’s Haunted Forest, with plans to self-screen the film in October of 2024. Fans of the haunt will be able to watch the film on the big screen on the same grounds where it was shot, with scare actors hiding in the wings.
Director Keith Boynton’s most recent film, romantic thriller The Winter House, starring Lili Taylor (Mystic Pizza) and François Arnaud (The Borgias), was acquired by Freestyle Digital Media and released on digital platforms October 13th, earning praise from legendary critic Rex Reed for Boynton’s “understated understanding” and Taylor’s “sensitive and nuanced performance.”
Producers are Mashka Wolfe (Y2K Babes) and Cassie D’Agostino (Top Chef) under the production company Sane Lake Pictures.
Markoff’s Haunted Forest features a mile-long trail that sets the stage for a series of terrifying scenes including a viking ship, an evil church, a vampire village, and many more terrifying sets that see over 30,000 visitors every October.