EXCLUSIVE: Alexandra Shipp (Barbie) is set to topline The Autopsy of Albert Kemper, a psychological horror film from writer-director David Benullo that has kicked off production in Minnesota.
Golden Globe nominee Eric Stoltz (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Pulp Fiction) and David Howard Thornton, who plays Art the Clown in the Terrifier films, will also star.
In The Autopsy of Albert Kemper, Shipp plays Riley Shaw, a morgue assistant who faces a terrifying night when the body of a notorious serial killer begins to show signs of something beyond death. No word on Stoltz’s role, but Thornton will play the film’s titular villain, Albert Kemper.
The film draws inspiration from an urban legend surrounding the aftermath of Jeffrey Dahmer’s death — rumors that authorities handcuffed the serial killer’s body to the gurney for fear he might “rise again.” Producers include Epic Level Entertainment’s Dana Guerin, John Frank Rosenblum and Tracy Mercer, Mandy June Turpin, and Jim Strader.
Best known for roles in Barbie and Anyone but You, Shipp recently wrapped Forbidden Fruits opposite Lili Reinhart, Lola Tung, and Victoria Pedretti. She also stars opposite Alan Cumming in Brian Cox’s directorial debut Glenrothan, which premiered at TIFF, and stars opposite Billy Magnussen in the thriller Violent Ends, which released in October. She is represented by CAA and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman.
For Benullo, The Autopsy of Albert Kemper marks a return to the genre that launched his directing career. His debut feature, the horror film Hallowed Ground, starred Chloë Grace Moretz and Jaimie Alexander. Benullo’s subsequent credits include indie thrillers such as Hostage House, which debuted on Netflix. He is repped by Quattro Media and Levin Law.
Stoltz is repped by SMS and Patti Felker; Thornton by BMG Talent; Rosenblum by WPA; Mercer by Orly Ravid; and Turpin by Holmes King.