Joseph Mazzello, known for Bohemian Rhapsody and Jurassic Park, heads the cast of A Grim Life, a supernatural thriller that takes place inside Los Angeles' Cecil Hotel.
Hong Kong company Cappu Films has acquired international sales rights after the project was unveiled at the Tokyo International Film Festival's TIFFCOM market.
Writer-director Francesco Lucente also produces. Mazzello plays Tom, a down-on-his-luck filmmaker who scrubs hotel toilets for cash and obsessively reworks a single script. A friend points him to Böse, a lost 1931 silent picture, and Tom's quest for artistic breakthrough leads him toward a dark secret.
Max Beesley portrays producer Joe, Wes Studi appears as Nic, Carl Lumbly plays Henry and Arnetia Walker is Chelsea. Studi received an Academy Honorary Award in 2019.
The Cecil Hotel itself provides much of the atmosphere, with the film relying on hallways, hidden rooms, sound, shadow and Tom's growing isolation to build tension.
Lucente said pre-production will begin in December 2026, filming is scheduled for January 2027 and delivery is targeted for July 2027.
"A Grim Life is a deeply personal project for me, one that explores the darker side of ambition, obsession, and the sacrifices we make in pursuit of our dreams," Lucente said. "The Cecil Hotel provides an extraordinary and haunting backdrop for a story where the boundaries between reality and the supernatural begin to disappear."
Cappu first presented the film to buyers in Busan and continues discussions before filming starts. Janice Woo of Cappu Films said the Cecil Hotel and the lost film give the project an immediately compelling premise, "while Tom's desperation gives the story its emotional center." She added, "Following our work with Francesco on Starbright, we're pleased to continue the relationship with a project that brings together a distinctive atmosphere and an experienced cast."
Lucente's earlier work includes the drama Badland and the fantasy Starbright, which starred Ted Levine, John Rhys-Davies and Diego Boneta.
In addition to Starbright, Cappu's slate features another Lucente fantasy, Sinbad, plus action titles Lion Fist and Red Bird. The catalogue spans horror, fantasy, action and arthouse films, as well as TV series and library titles from Hong Kong cinema's Golden Era.
