Director Silas Howard has set his next project. Darby and the Dead, a new teen fantasy film for Hulu, is coming soon.
Howard is primarily known for his work in television, directing several episodes of prominent TV series. Notably, he was the first trans director for Amazon's Transparent. Some of Howard's recent directing includes episodes of This is Us, High Maintenance, Everything's Gonna Be Okay, and A League of Their Own. Howard is also known for his 2001 directorial feature debut By Hook or By Crook, co-written and directed with Harry Dodge.
Darby and the Dead is based on the spec script Darby Harper Wants You to Know, written by Wenonah Wilms and Becca Greene. Adam Saunders, Eddie Rubin, and Mac Hendrickson are set to produce with 20th Century Studios and Footprint Features. The film will be distributed by Hulu as an original film.
With that, let's look at everything we know so far about Hulu's Darby and the Dead. What can we expect from the plot? Who is lined up in the cast? When and where will the film be released? And what else should audiences know about Hulu's Darby and the Dead?
Darby and the Dead: The Plot
While we currently don't know many plot specifics, we have a synopsis that gives us an idea of where the story will go. It reads:
"The story follows Darby Harper, who after suffering a near-death experience as a child is granted the ability to see ghosts. To combat the existential boredom of high school, she runs a side business counseling local spirits in her spare time. When an unexpected occurrence happens between Darby and Capri, the most popular girl at her high school, Darby reluctantly agrees to help her and in the process learns how to fit in with the living world again."
High school movies are nothing new; neither are films where characters can talk to the dead. However, Darby and the Dead sounds like it will present a fresh take on these well-worn genres. Having the main character interact and fit in with the ghost world more than the human world could be an effective way to tell the story of someone who might not fit in. Maybe Darby feels more at home with ghosts than people due to her unique gift. Just because we may have seen this type of story before doesn't mean there's nothing new to do with it.
We'll likely have to wait and see how the filmmakers approach the story, which should be revealed with more information as production continues.
Darby and the Dead: The Cast
When the film was first announced as Darby Harper Wants You to Know, Storm Reid was attached to the titular role. Reid, best known for her roles on HBO's Euphoria and the film A Wrinkle in Time, was also set to produce. Following Reid's exit, the role of Darby Harper was given to Riele Downs, known for her role on Nickelodeon's Henry Danger. In addition to Downs, the film is also set to star Moana's Auli'i Cravalho as Capri. Cravalho's Capri is described as a "dead cheerleader" who has some sort of occurrence with Downs' Darby. However, there's no additional information, such as how Capri might have died or what exact role she plays in the story.
The cast is also set to feature Asher Angel of DC's Shazam! and Disney Channel's Andi Mack. It star Chosen Jacobs is in the cast, as is Derek Luke of 13 Reasons Why. #BlackAF star Genneya Walton will appear, along with Supergirl star Nicole Maines, who was notably the first person to portray a transgender superhero on American television. There are currently no details on which characters these stars are playing or how they are connected to the main storyline.
Darby and the Dead scored a big name with Tony Danza attached to the cast. Danza has been seeing a career rebound in recent years, with roles on Starz's Power Book III: Raising Kanan and the upcoming sequel to Who's the Boss? coming to Amazon Freevee. There is currently no information on Danza's character. Finally, Wayne Knight of Seinfeld fame as the infamous Newman is rounding out the cast. Unlike many other names in the cast, Knight has a character attached. He will play Mel, described as "a cheerful dead guy who plays poker in the bleachers and has the ultimate goal to get through the pearly white gates."
Additional casting announcements, as well as confirmation of existing roles, will likely follow in the coming weeks and months as work on Darby and the Dead continues.
Release Date
Currently, Darby and the Dead has no release date attached. Filming began in February 2022 in South Africa. Given that production is already well underway, the film could reasonably be ready for a release on the streamer sometime in 2023.