Garrison Film Productions Inc. (OTC: EMDF) and Legion M announced today that Sean Astin (Stranger Things, Lord of the Rings, Supergirl, No Good Nick), Ali Larter (The Rookie, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, Legally Blonde) and Madison Wolfe (The Conjuring 2, I Kill Giants, True Detective) have signed on to star in their upcoming true-crime thriller feature film THE MAN IN THE WHITE VAN.
Also confirmed among the cast are Brec Bassinger (Stargirl, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, Bella and The Bulldogs), Skai Jackson (Muppets Haunted Mansion, Sex Appeal, Bunk’d), Gavin Warren (The Descendant, Geechee, First Man) and Julianne Arrieta (Reagan).
The film teams writer/director/producer Warren Skeels (Siesta Key), executive producers Legion M, Gary Kompothecras, and Lawrence Najem with producers Terri Lubaroff (Archenemy) and Anne Marie Gillen (Fried Green Tomatoes). THE MAN IN THE WHITE VAN is co-written by Sharon Y. Cobb (June) and co-produced by Mike Page and Arlie Day, who also handled casting. The project marks the first collaboration between financier Garrison Film and Legion M, and will be the first-ever production from Garrison Film’s innovative new film financing entity.
Based on a true story set in the quaint family town of Brooksville, FL in 1974, the film is a true-crime, suspenseful thriller about an ominous white van that begins stalking a young girl prone to exaggeration. Her parents’ disbelief of her fear of being followed leads to a terrifying Halloween nightmare. The film explores the origins of the nefarious “white van” trope in popular culture and tracks the beginning of real-world serial killer Billy Mansfield Jr’s path of destruction in the 70’s.
Sean Astin is best known for his film and television roles such as Bob Newby, a former high school friend and love interest to Winona Ryder’s character, Joyce Byers in Season 2 of Netflix’s horror thriller Stranger Things. Astin is, of course, also known for his classic and beloved characters – Sam in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the title character of Rudy and Mikey in the popular classic The Goonies. He starred as Ed in Netflix’s family sitcom, No Good Nick and guest starred in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Big Bang Theory.
Recent films include; Gloria Bell opposite Julianne Mooore, Mayfield’s Game opposite Mira Sorvino and Charming The Hearts of Men with Kelsey Grammer. Astin is no stranger to thrillers, with dramatic turns in numerous television, film and series, including Guillermo Del Toro’s The Strain on (FX) and the fifth season of 24 (Fox). He directed and produced the short film Kangaroo Court, which earned him an Academy Award® nomination for Best Live Action Short Film.
Ali Larter’s credits include a critical recurring role on ABC’s The Rookie, as well as the FOX series Pitch and ABC series Splitting Up. Perhaps most recognizable from the NBC show Heroes, Larter also co-stars in several of the Resident Evil franchise films. Making her feature film debut in the blockbuster hit Varsity Blues, Larter’s additional feature credits include A Lot Like Love, American Outlaws, House On Haunted Hill, and Drive Me Crazy. Larter is well known for her performance as ‘Brooke Windham’ opposite Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde. Additionally, she starred in the successful first and second installments of Final Destination, as well as Obsessed opposite Beyoncé Knowles Carter and Idris Elba.
