Legendary is behind a new incarnation of “Seance On A Wet Afternoon,” a thriller based on the 1961 novel from author Mark McShane that had been previously adapted into a feature film in 1964, written/directed by Bryan Forbes. Deadline reveals that British actress Rachel Weisz (“The Favourite,” “The Lobster“) has been tapped for the Myra Savage role, a psychic with real abilities assigned to help the police find a missing child, Amanda.
Swedish director Tomas Alfredson, known for the fantastic vampire pic “Let The Right One In” and adapting John Le Carre’s “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy,” has been tasked to replace Harry Bradbeer on the thriller. Bradbeer had to exit due to a scheduling conflict with the “Enola Holmes” sequel.
Jack Thorne wrote the script based on a story he and Bradbeer worked together on.
Here is the novel’s official synopsis via Amazon:
“Most so-called psychics disgust Myra Savage. She has no patience for their chintz and cheap tricks, for her power is real. Myra can see into other people’s minds and sometimes sense the future, but she has never yet communicated with the other side. For that, she needs the cooperation of great psychics, but she lacks the stature to attract their attention. To satisfy this burning need for fame, she and her husband concoct The Plan. Bill snatches a six-year-old girl from her schoolyard and pastes together a letter demanding ransom. After a few days of citywide panic, Myra will lead the police to the girl and the money, and all of London will know her name. When a criminal can see the future, what could possibly go wrong?”
The original 1964 film had a great cast consisting of Kim Stanley and Richard Attenborough, the latter you probably know from “The Great Escape” and “Jurassic Park. Stanley landed a Best Actress nomination at the 1965 Academy Awards for her performance, so I’m sure the studio is hoping for some festival/awards consideration.
Weisz is coming off the success of Marvel’s “Black Widow” and could end up having a more significant role within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hopefully, this is a bit of a redemption for Alfredson following the bomb of his 2017 serial killer movie “The Snowman” starring Michael Fassbender; its reception was so poor, it was reduced to a meme and joke online. The director hasn’t made an English project since but did make the 2020 Swedish comedy” Se upp för Jönssonligan.”