What Persuaded John Lithgow To Join Horror Film The Rule Of Jenny Pen? He Told Me About The One Thing That's 'Not Ordinarily How You Hear Horror Directors Talk'
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The horror genre has a unique place in the entertainment industry. Some of the best horror movies were made on a minimal budget, allowing there to be massive profit if a title hits big. Horror has been experiencing a renaissance for years now, attracting some A list talent to join in on the fun. Case in point: the upcoming horror movie The Rule of Jenny Pen, which stars icons Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow. And the latter actor shared with CinemaBlend how he was inspired to sign on, specifically after hearing the vision of filmmaker James Ashcroft.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Rush and Lithgow about their collaboration on The Rule of Jenny Pen, and the latter actor couldn't say enough positive things about the movie's director. I asked about the film's grueling tone, where he revealed his original reaction to the movie's script. In the 3rd Rock from the Sun (which was arguably one of the best NBC shows) alum shared:
We were really having fun. You're right, it's a dark and disturbing film. It's a script that was so scary and unsettling that I wasn't even sure I was capable of doing it. Of plunging into this dark world. But the process of doing this film was exhilarating. So much of this has to do with James [Ashcroft], a man who loves the horror genre as you do, Corey. He takes it very seriously and he finds great layers, deep layers of serious intent to what he's doing. It's a film about bullying and about cruelty and revenge. Ideas that are, God knows, are very much up in the air these days.
Points were made. This latest horror flick is set in a nursing home, where Lithgow's villainous Dave Crealy is terrorizing his fellow residents with the movie's titular puppet. CinemaBlend's The Rule of Jenny Pen review praised the "nasty" film, although it sounds like the cast had a great time filming the project.
The setting of the movie is definitely captivating, with Geoffrey Rush equating Jenny Pen to Alien when speaking about the way the nursing home immerses viewers into the story. Despite how hard it is to watch the residents being victimized, John Lithgow explained how Ashcroft actually tried to be very "compassionate" about the story. In his words:
And is a kind of meditation on trying to find out what makes cruel people tick. Where does this come from? So often it comes from damage. It comes from hurt that they themselves have experienced. That's how I approach it, how I approached this character and the whole film. And James was just this great tour guide of his intent. He's a remarkable man, he's very smart. In depth knowledge. He's got a great heart, he's passionate. And he sees this as a very compassionate story, which is not ordinarily how you hear horror directors talk about what they do. That's what persuaded me.
While there are scenes in The Rule of Jenny Pen that are hard to get through, it's only because we're meant to care for the elderly residents and want the best for them. That's where the compassion part comes in, and why Dave Crealy is so easy to hate as the villain of the project.
In our interview, John Lithgow also shared that director James Ashcroft's family is actually uniquely tied to the process of caring for the elderly. Namely because his wife and her family a run them. As he told me:
His wife is a woman who runs senior care facilities and runs them very well. She's second generation; her mother and father create a chain of care homes. He really wanted to treat the subject with great dignity.
I feel they did just that, even if the movie was grueling at points... even has a horror fan. The circle of life means that so many of us have cared for elderly relatives, allowing for an easy emotional anchor in The Rule of Jenny Pen. Add in the two legendary actors at the forefront of the story, and the project has a lot going for it.
Moviegoers can judge for themselves as The Rule of Jenny Pen gets its wide theatrical release on March 7th as part of the 2025 movie release list. And it's just one of many horror titles expected to arrive this year.
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