Melissa Barrerais saddling up for a new Western thriller,In the Cradle of Granite.TheScreamstarwill appear in the film which is set against the unforgiving landscape of the late 1800s American frontier. In the film, Barrera will play a young mother on a desperate quest for survival. The movie also marks the English-language debut of acclaimed Costa Rican directorAriel Escalante(Domingo and the Mist), who directs from a script byJay Holmes.
The movie is produced byJoel David Moore,Rishi Bajaj, andDaniel Taborgaof Balcony 9 Productions—whose upcoming projects includeBride HardandImmaculate Room—the film also boastsJonathan SadowskiandDaniel Pancottoof Ad Lunam Entertainment among its production team. Executive producersChase Hinton,Lynette Gurule-Thomas, andMichael Thomasround out the crew.
The film continues Barrera’s hot streak in Hollywood,with recent releases likeYour Monster, a horror rom-comfrom Vertical that premiered at Sundance, and her role in Universal Pictures’Abigail. She also stars in the upcoming dramaThe Collaboration, exploring the friendship betweenAndy WarholandJean-Michel Basquiat, and anew thriller series fromJames WanandSimu Liuon Peacock. Barrera was removed from her role in theScreamseries last year in highly contentious circumstances, which sparked a massive backlash amongst fans of the series, who will be pleased to see her continue to do well.
Why Did Melissa Barrera Choose ‘In the Cradle of Granite’?
Speaking about the collaboration, Barrera expressed her excitement,telling Deadline, “Ariel is a beautifully poetic filmmaker and I am honored to join him in his English-language debut. We are both very intentional in the narratives we choose to tell and seek to entertain while giving life to characters and situations that serve as a mirror for society. Jay Holmes’ script is thrilling and hypnotizing, and I can’t wait to bring it to the big screen along with the teams at Ad Lunam and Balcony 9.”
Escalante added to the excitement, stating:
“I find Jay Holmes’ script to be the perfect opportunity to bring my directorial vision to the United States. And working alongside such a strong and amazing actress like Melissa Barrera only fuels my desire to turn this into both an exciting contemporary take on the western genre and a bold reflection on colonial violence.”
Stay tuned to Collider for more updates asIn the Cradle of Graniteheads into production, and to keep up to date on Melissa Barrera.
