For those familiar with Stanley Kubrick’s horror classic The Shining, the name Shelley Duvall will conjure images of Wendy Torrance, the terrified wife of axe-wielding author Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson. While Duvall would go on to star in films such as Time Bandits and Roxane, she famously stepped away from acting in 2002.
Returning to the silver screen after a 20-year hiatus, Duval will now star in Scott Goldberg’s upcoming horror film The Forest Hills about “a disturbed man who is tormented by nightmarish visions, after enduring head trauma while camping in the Catskill Mountains”. The 73-year-old actor will play the mother and inner voice of the protagonist Rico, played by Chiko Mendez.
“We are huge fans of The Shining and it’s honestly one of my favourite horror movies of all time, up there with John Carpenter’s Halloween and George A. Romero’s Day of the Dead with the dark tones they delivered in their movies, along with perfect scores and elements that make them my personal favourites,” said Goldberg in a statement.
“Shelley contributed to The Shining being an absolute masterpiece by giving her all, and performing in a way that really showcased the fear and horror of a mother in isolation.”
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Duval became visibly emotional after rewatching the film’s iconic axe scene. When asked why she’s crying, the actor responds “Because we filmed that for about three weeks. Every day. It was very hard. Jack was so good – so damn scary. I can only imagine how many women go through this kind of thing.”
A release date for The Forest Hills has yet to be announced.