Martin Starr, who is presently starring opposite Sylvester Stallone in Tulsa King, joins cast members Maika Monroe and Mary Elizabeth Winstead in 20th Century Studios’ remake of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. Michelle Garza Cervera is directing the film, which will begin production later this month. Raúl Castillo is also on the call sheet.
The original 1992 thriller follows two women: Claire Bartel and Peyton Flanders, played by Annabella Sciorra and Rebecca De Mornay, respectively. When she was assaulted by her doctor, Claire reported him to the police, and rather than go to prison for his crime, he killed himself. The shock of the accusations and suicide caused the doctor’s pregnant wife, Peyton, to have a miscarriage and be left penniless due to his life insurance being voided. Driven mad with rage and grief, Peyton poses as a nanny for the Bartel family. Her plan is to tear Claire’s life apart, seduce her husband, and eventually murder the woman she blames for ruining her life while taking possession of her family.
The reimagining was conceived by Cervera and scripted by Micah Bloomberg, creator of the anthology show Homecoming and writer of the thriller Sanctuary. The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is a two-hander that will see Monroe as the nanny and Winstead as the mother. Castillo plays the husband, and Martin Starr will play the family’s neighbour to whom the mother turns for help.
