Natalie Dormer Cast as Lead in ‘The Forest’

Game of Thrones actress Natalie Dormer has been cast as the lead in the horror film The Forest, which will be produced by David S. Goyer and is based on his original idea. The film will cross cultural boundaries, as the England-born actress is set to play an American woman searching for her missing twin sister in Japan’s Aokigahara forest, where she encounters the undead.

Based on a screenplay by Goyer (Batman Begins, Dark City), and rewritten by Sarah Cornwell and Nick Antosca (co-producer of NBC’s Hannibal), The Forest will be director Jason Zada’s first feature. Dormer’s Sara is the only role to be cast thus far, so it is unknown whether or not we will see another actress cast as her twin sister, or if there will be some technical wizardry employed, a la Armie Hammer in The Social Network. As it is slated for a January 8th, 2016 release, we can expect more details to be announced in the coming months.

Dormer has until this point enjoyed a flourishing career in television, playing iconic characters such as Anne Boleyn in The Tudors, Sherlock Holmes’ nemesis Moriarty in Elementary, and Margaery Tyrell in HBO’s Game of Thrones series. This will be her first time as the lead in a film of this caliber, so it could help in boosting her career in the movie world. Dormer also has an upcoming role as Cressida in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1 & Part 2, as well as a starring role in The Girl Who Invented Kissing alongside Zachary Quinto (2009’s Star Trek).