Deadline reports Twilight, Nurse Jackie, and Supergirl actor Peter Facinelli will lead the World War I supernatural drama, Can You Hear Me?.
Downton Abbey‘s Matthew Baber and John Standing (V for Vendetta) have been cast in supporting roles. Shooting will begin in the U.K. next month.
The supernatural romance follows Facinelli’s Samuel, an American officer, who is shot while fighting on the front lines in 1918 France. In a desperate plea, Samuel “makes a bargain with the ‘Almighty’ to return to his bride in England, until the last bell tolls”.
Simon Hunter will direct from newcomer Charlotte Radford’s first feature-length script. She will also star alongside Facinelli as ‘Annabel’ as well as produce.
Hunter commented on the beauty of the story and its themes of dealing with loss in a statement: “It’s a unique and beautiful script. A sensual and romantic ghost story set in the dark days of World War One. The story deals with loss and how to let go of the ones you have loved. It’s a deeply moving supernatural journey which moves from the ferocity of the trenches of the western front to the haunting beauty of an English country estate.”
Hunter has been a long admirer of Facinelli’s work, where he recently wrote and directed popular Netflix film The Vanished in 2020 and starred in the thriller 13 Minutes (2021). Hunter believes “it will be an honor to direct him in such a moving and poignant story.”