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Sydney Sweeney will lead a new take on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Published in 1820, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving remains a short story horror classic. The tale focuses on Ichabod Crane and his encounter with the terrifying Headless Horseman, and it has been adapted several times, including by Disney in 1949.
Per Deadline, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is now set to be reimagined in the form of Hollow from writer and director Lindsey Anderson Beer. Sony Pictures will distribute the film, with LuckyChap and Sweeney's own Honey Trap producing.
Based on Beer's debut novel of the same name, Hollow tells the story of Katrina Van Tassel, an object of romantic affection in Irving's original tale, who is now positioned as the hero in a mystery that features "seductive supernatural love triangle." The story is said to blend "gothic atmosphere, psychological intrigue, and erotic thriller elements into a contemporary, high-concept reinvention of the classic tale."
Casting for the film is now underway, with the roles of Ichabod Crane and Brom Bones said to be in high demand. No release date for the movie has been set just yet, but Hollow, the novel, is slated to release next fall.
For Sweeney, Hollow will mark her return to feature films after a very busy 2025. Last year saw the release of Eden, Christy, and The Housemaid, the latter of which became a major box office success. Most recently, she appeared on the small screen, reprising her role as Cassie for Euphoria season 3, the HBO series' last.
Beer, on the other hand, wrote the script for 2023's Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, a major Paramount+ hit, and is now poised for a major rise in Hollywood and beyond. Buzz for her Hollow novel is high, and translation rights for the book have already sold around the world. She was previously attached to write the script for Disney's Bambi reboot, and she is credited as a writer on the upcoming Hello Kitty movie, among other projects.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is no stranger to adaptation. The short story served as the basis for a 1949 Disney animated film called The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. Perhaps most famously, the story was adapted by Tim Burton in 1999's Sleepy Hollow, with Johnny Depp taking on the role of Ichabod and Christopher Walken playing the Headless Horseman.
Sweeney's ability to headline a movie has been mixed over the last few years, with Christy notably flopping last year. She does have some hits under her belt, however, including Anyone But You (2023), and her leading an adaptation of a classic horror tale in Hollow could be an effective match.
