‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ & ‘Doctor Sleep’ Actor Alex Essoe To Star In Indie Horror Flick ‘The Avalanche’

Zac Ntim

14 January 2025 at 10:59 am·1-min read

EXCLUSIVE: Alex Essoe (Doctor Sleep) has signed on to lead horror flick The Avalanche from filmmaker Johnny Coffeen.

Essoe will lead the pic alongside Lou Taylor Pucci (Physical, Evil Dead). The film begins principal photography this month.

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Described as a psychological horror, the film follows two former lovers forced together by an avalanche that cuts them off from the world. The synopsis reads: As the weight of their shared history begins to crack the thin veneer of civility, strange apparitions stir in the dark corners of their shelter. Reality and paranoia bleed together as buried secrets claw their way to the surface, leaving them to question whether the true danger lies outside the cabin—or within.

The film’s crew includes cinematographer Evan Zissimopulos (Breathing Happy), art designer Danielle Lopez (Disney+ Stan Lee), and the production design debut of fine art sculptor John Frame (Lyric Opera of Chicago production of Faust). The film is produced by Jamie Parslow, with Emily Zercher and Shane Brady serving as co-producers.

The film marks Coffeen’s directorial debut. He is a Cuban-American filmmaker. His previous credits include an Assistant Editor role on Destin Daniel Cretton’s Short Term 12. He has directed several short films. His 2016 short The Swan Girl premiered at David Lynch’s Festival Of Disruption and received a Student Academy Award.

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