Recently seen in the sombre zombie movie Maggie and in the TV comedy-scarefest Scream Queens, Abilgail Breslin is leaving horror behind for her next role - although you wouldn't know it from the title. She's set to star in Freak Show, based on the cult high-school novel by James St James.
The book, first published in 2007, revolves around narrator Billy city kid popular at school who finds acceptance more difficult to come by when he moves to the sticks with his father. His proclivity for showing up to lessons in full drag-queen get-up gets him initially ostracised and bullied. His fight-back plan is to run for the title of Homecoming Queen.
Alex Lawther has already been vcast as Billy, and Breslin will play the head cheerleader and "Queen Bee' who objects to having her thunder stolen. Bette Midler, AnnaSophia Robb, Ian Nelson and Lorraine Toussaint are also on the roster.
Long-time producer Trudie Styler (Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, Moon, Still Alice) is making the move into directing for the first time, and the screenplay comes courtesy of Patrick J. Clifton and Beth Rigazio (Raising Helen). Shooting is underway, but there are no release dates yet.