Yellowjackets actress Rukiya Bernard is heading into horror territory. Bernard has signed on to star in Sundowning, a psychological thriller from director Ian McDonald, with principal photography currently underway in Vancouver.
Bernard is joined by Elizabeth Dulau (Andor), Susanne Wuest (Goodnight Mommy, Industry), and Robbie G.K. (Heated Rivalry).
The film follows a young musician with gerontophobia — an irrational fear of aging and death — who neglects her dying parents before seeking redemption by taking a position at a secluded end-of-life facility. What starts as an act of penance takes a dark turn when she discovers the idyllic sanctuary is hiding something terrifying.
Sundowning is the latest project out of Spooky Pictures’ multi-year partnership with Abu Dhabi-based studio Image Nation. Steven Schneider, Roy Lee (Barbarian), and Simmy Wolf (Thunderbolts) produce for Spooky Pictures. Chris Wilkinson and Ryan Marchant produce for Hadron Films, with Ellie Cameron-Smith as line producer. Rami Yasin and Image Nation’s Ben Ross serve as executive producers.
This marks McDonald’s second time in the director’s chair. He previously took writing credits on Anna Kendrick’s serial killer drama Woman of the Hour, which premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and sold to Netflix in a bidding war. He is also currently writing an untitled cult thriller for Netflix alongside producers Andrea Berloff and John Gatins.
Spooky Pictures co-founder Schneider said of the project: “We can’t wait to see his latest creation Sundowning realized and to have such a stellar cast, including Elizabeth, Susanne, Rukiya and Robbie, bring this chilling story of redemption and the darker realities of the care system to life for global audiences.”
Bernard is best known for three seasons on Showtime’s Yellowjackets and will next appear in the AMC series The Audacity. Dulau earned recognition for her starring role as Kleya in the Emmy-nominated Andor on Disney+, with additional credits including Wicked and All the Light We Cannot See. Wuest, who gained international recognition through Austria’s Academy Awards submissions Antares and Goodnight Mommy, most recently appeared in the Cannes-winning The Sound of Falling and HBO’s Industry. Robbie G.K. comes off Heated Rivalry with previous credits including Utopia Falls.
Vancouver is where it’s happening this summer — and Sundowning is one to keep on your radar.