Acclaimed indie filmmaker Anna Biller is heading to Prague this July to shoot her latest feature, The Face of Horror, a 14th-century ghost story starring Jonah Hauer-King, Kristine Froseth, Ellie Bamber, Leo Suter, and Bella Heathcote. The UK-produced supernatural thriller is being handled locally by Prague’s Sirena Film.
Best known for the cult favorite The Love Witch, Biller returns with a tale set in medieval England and inspired in part by the Japanese ghost story Yotsuya Kaidan. She also wrote the original screenplay and will co-produce the film alongside Good Chaos founder Mike Goodridge and James Bowsher.
A gothic tale of betrayal and revenge
The Face of Horror follows Edward Carnifex (Hauer-King), a knight who marries his longtime love Eleanor (Froseth), only to grow bored and pursue a wealthy noblewoman, played by Heathcote. When Eleanor dies, her spirit returns from beyond the grave to torment her unfaithful husband. Bamber plays Eleanor’s sister Beatrice, while Suter portrays Richard, Edward’s squire and Beatrice’s love interest.
The film, blending supernatural horror with period drama, explores themes of love, betrayal, and vengeance, using a medieval setting as both backdrop and metaphor. Loosely modeled on Yotsuya Kaidan, one of Japan’s most enduring ghost stories, the plot draws on gothic tradition while reframing it through Biller’s distinctive feminist lens.
In a press statement, Biller expressed enthusiasm for the project’s scope and its Prague locations.
“We have such breathtaking locations and such a stellar cast and crew that I’m a bit stunned by it all,” she said. “I’m thrilled to be working with Good Chaos and Sirena Films to bring this beautiful ghost story to life.”
International production with Prague at the center
The Face of Horror marks a significant international collaboration. U.K.-based Good Chaos is leading production, with sales handled by Embankment Films, co-represented domestically by WME. Sirena Film, known for its work with large-scale international projects in the Czech Republic, will provide local production services.
Biller reunites with director of photography David Mullen, her collaborator on The Love Witch, suggesting the film will continue her signature visual style—lush, stylized, and steeped in genre aesthetics.
The ensemble cast includes several actors with recent high-profile roles. Hauer-King (Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid) stars in Sony’s upcoming remake of I Know What You Did Last Summer, and will also appear in Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite. Froseth recently wrapped filming on Her Private Hell for director Nicolas Winding Refn, and has starred in a lead role in two seasons of The Buccaneers on Netflix.
Bamber (Nocturnal Animals, William Tell) will play Kate Moss in the biopic Moss and Freud, while Suter (Vikings: Valhalla) is set to lead the BBC’s reboot of The Inspector Lynley Mysteries. Heathcote (Dark Shadows, The Neon Demon) will star as Lisa in a remake of the cult classic The Room, opposite Bob Odenkirk in the Tommy Wiseau role.
The film adds to a growing list of major international projects choosing Prague for its historic architecture, skilled crews, and attractive production incentives. Recent horror projects that have filmed in the Czech capital include Robert Egger’s Oscar-nominated Nosferatu, The Crow, and the second season of AMC’s Interview with the Vampire.
Production on The Face of Horror in Prague is slated to begin in July. A projected release date has yet to be announced.
Lead photo: Jonah Hauer-King in The Little Mermaid, Kristine Froseth in The Buccaneers
