Gabrielle Union is set to star in Perdita, a paranormal psychological thriller that marks the narrative feature debut of filmmaker Megan Raney Aarons. The film is scheduled to begin production in Ontario, Canada, in March.
Inspired by Henry James’ 1868 short story The Romance of Certain Old Clothes, Perdita follows Pearl (Union), a rootless loner working as a remote island park ranger whose grip on reality begins to fracture after a disturbing encounter with an apparition. Shaken, Pearl abruptly walks away from both her job and a workplace relationship. Her unraveling deepens when she discovers she has been left a derelict house in Detroit—an inheritance that feels anything but random. As she attempts to uncover why the property was left to her, Pearl finds herself confronting forces that threaten not only her life, but her sanity, forcing her to reckon with the possibility that she has never truly been alone.
The screenplay was written by award-winning playwright and screenwriter Matthew Hurt, based on a story he conceived with Aarons. The film blends a contemporary 2009 setting with a Civil Rights–era 1960s backdrop, weaving psychological horror with historical memory.
Producers on Perdita include Colin K. Gray, Jake Horowitz, and Larissa Primeau of GRAiNEY PICTURES, alongside Daniel Sheldon and Chad Oliver of Inner Media Capital. Executive producers include Ramfis Myrthil, Amber Templemore, and Byron Beane, who also serves as casting director alongside Kevin Scott and Hannah Antaki for Canada. Canadian executive producers for GRAiNEY PICTURES include Joel Cohen, Robert Cohen, and Erik T. Wilson.
In a statement, Aarons described Perdita as both deeply personal and politically resonant. She noted that the film serves as an homage to the activism of her parents and her godmother—the first African-American woman ordained in her denomination—while also functioning as a psychological thriller that quietly reflects the current political climate. Aarons added that she is honored to be collaborating with the creative team behind the film and praised Union for bringing emotional depth to the role of Pearl.
Union continues to expand her work across genres. She was most recently seen alongside Bill Murray, Jennifer Coolidge, and Ed Harris in the crime comedy Riff Raff, and recently wrapped production as executive producer and star of the horror film The Casket Girls. She will next lend her voice to the animated feature GOAT, arriving in theaters February 13, and is currently in production on Amazon MGM Studios’ romantic comedy Blame It on Rome, opposite Michele Morrone. Union previously earned Gotham and Independent Spirit Award nominations for her performance in A24’s The Inspection.
A Canadian-born director, writer, producer, and activist, Aarons is the co-founder of GRAiNEY PICTURES. Her previous work includes the documentary Freedom’s Fury, for which she received Hungary’s highest civilian honor, and the short thriller Demolition, which screened at festivals internationally. She is also attached to direct the Spyglass sci-fi thriller Illuminator.
With Perdita, Aarons makes her transition into narrative feature filmmaking with a project that blends psychological horror, historical context, and personal reflection—anchored by Union in a role that places her at the center of an increasingly unsettling mystery.