Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Ashley Greene Join Anthony Hopkins Sci-Fi Film

Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Ashley Greene, Thomas Kretschmann and Praya Lundberg have joined the cast of Anthony Hopkins starrer “Eyes in the Trees.” Palisades Park Pictures is launching worldwide sales on the sci-fi thriller ahead of the Toronto International Film Festival.

The film, a modern reimagining of H.G. Wells’ novel “The Island of Doctor Moreau,” stars two-time Academy Award winner Hopkins (“The Father,” “Silence of the Lambs”).  The cast also includes Golden Globe winner Rhys Meyers (“Michael Collins,” “Match Point”), Greene (“The Twilight Saga,” “Bombshell”), Kretschmann (“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” “King Kong”) and Lundberg (“White Lotus,” Season 3). 

“Eyes in the Trees” follows “a video journalist and his film crew who embark on a journey into an isolated forest, only to find their excursion turned into a fight for survival for not just themselves, but the entire human race. Vince Henway (Meyers) and his former protégé-turned-ex Channing Arneau (Greene) lead their crew into the heart of Monkey Ko off the coast of Thailand. Also known as ‘The Island of Death’ to the locals, the island holds rumors of forgotten government medical experiments and scientific genetic manipulations lead by Dr. Addis (Hopkins). What they find on the island is beyond their wildest expectations, a product of nightmares. Their search for answers quickly transforms into a fight for survival as they try to thwart Dr. Addis’ plan to ‘regress mankind,’ killing the majority of earth’s human population,” reads the film’s logline.

The sci-fi thriller will be directed by Emmy Award winner Timothy Woodward Jr. (“Studio City,” “Til Death Do Us Part”) and written by B. Harrison Smith (“Where the Scary Things Are”), Mike Manning (“Son of the South”) and Dominic Burns (“Airborne”).

The film will be produced by Daemon Hillin (“Which Brings Me to You”) of Hillin Entertainment, Simon Williams (“The Magic Faraway Tree”) of Ashland Hill and Artisha Mann-Cooper (“Tripped Up”) of Artman Cooper Productions. Mike Manning will also serve as a producer. 

Landon B. Gorman of BGG Capital, Joe Simpson, Jonathan Bross and Tamara Birkemoe are set to executive produce. Jonathan J. Cooper and Jeremy O’Keefe will co-produce.

Director Woodward Jr. added, “Having the opportunity to work closely with the legendary Sir Anthony Hopkins and the rest of this incredible cast is a true honor. It has been deeply inspiring, and I’m genuinely grateful for the experience. I look forward to sharing this film with audiences, knowing it’s being shaped by such remarkable talents in front of and behind the camera.”

“’Eyes in the Trees’ is a bold, twisted elevated-genre film with a brilliant ensemble cast, including the incomparable Anthony Hopkins,” said Simon Williams, Ashland Hill’s Managing Partner. “We look forward to introducing global audiences to this chilling and creative reimagining seen through Timothy’s unique vision.”

Palisades Park Pictures’ TIFF slate also includes “The Magic Faraway Tree” starring Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Nicola Coughlan, Jessica Gunning and Jennifer Saunders, The Jim Henson Company’s live action monster tale “Grendel,” starring Jeff Bridges, Dave Bautista, Bryan Cranston, Thomasin McKenzie, Sam Elliott and T Bone Burnett, “That’s Amore!” starring John Travolta, Katherine Heigl and Christopher Walken and Philip Noyce’s action-adventure “Fast Charlie” starring Pierce Brosnan, and James Caan in his final on-screen performance.

Production for “Eyes In The Trees” is scheduled to begin in Thailand later this year.