Shelley Duvall shows off her riveting acting chops one last time, posthumously, in the new film The Forest Hills.
And on Friday, the official trailer dropped for the independent horror-thriller that features the iconic leading lady of The Shining.
Written, directed, and produced by Scott Goldberg, The Forest Hills tells the ghoulish story of a man named Rico (Chiko Mendez) who ‘is tormented by nightmarish visions after enduring head trauma while camping in the Catskill woods in rural southeastern New York.
Duvall, who only just passed away in July at the age of 75, plays Rico’s abusive mother in the movie, which also features Edward Furlong, Dee Wallace, Felissa Rose, Stacey Nelkin, and Marianne Hagan.
After having publicly announced her retirement from acting more than 22 years ago, her swan song role comes after last appearing in Gabrielle Burton’s comedy film Manna From Heaven (2002).
The late Shelley Duvall, who passed away in July at 75, makes her to return to acting, posthumously, in the horror-thriller The Forest Hills; (L) seen in a still from the film, (R) seen in 1989
According to a report from The New York Times, Duvall didn’t give any reasons or real explanation as to why she decided to make her return to acting after more than two decades away.
In what was her last interview, she maintained she landed the role, because ‘I wanted to act again. And then this guy kept calling, and so I wound up doing it.’
In fact, Duvall was initially cast to do a cameo for the movie similar to a ‘Friday The 13th Pamela Voorhees type of flashback,’ Goldberg revealed.
Eventually, her role became more significant to the storytelling after she expressed interest in performing more scenes with some of the other actors.
The late actress, who had been dealing with mental heath issues for many years, offered a behind-the-scenes look on her experience working with the filmmaker, who’s known for such works as the short film The North Fork (2020), Off The Grid: Survivalism And Frugality (2018), Cartridgers (2018), and another short Moirai: The Drifter.
‘Working with Scott Goldberg was really exciting because we used a lot of new technologies [and] cameras, and I was amazed at how easy it became to become a filmmaker.’
In the end, Goldberg, who incorporated Duvall’s wheelchair into the story, found the Annie Hall star to be ‘kind, sweet, gentle, and such an amazing actress.’
In the trailer, Duvall appears to play one horrible mother, who can be seen chain-smoking while asking her son Rico about that time she locked him and his sister in the car
Written, directed, and produced by Scott Goldberg, The Forest Hills tells the ghoulish story of a man named Rico (Chiko Mendez) who ‘is tormented by nightmarish visions after enduring head trauma while camping in the Catskill woods in rural southeastern New York
Duvall, who only just passed away in July at the age of 75, plays Rico’s abusive mother
Chiko Mendez plays the lead role of Rico, son of Shelley Duvall’s character
The Forest Hills is actually based on another of Goldberg’s short films, Danielle’s Revenge (2007); with the idea that he would update and expand the story to give an an alternative take on the feature
Duvall’s appearance The Forest Hills was her first role in over 22-years following her retirement from acting in 2002
After premiere in 2023, The Forest Hills is set to have its widespread release on October 4
In what was her last interview, she maintained Duvall said she landed the role, because ‘I wanted to act again. And then this guy kept calling, and so I wound up doing it’
He went on to add how she appeared to be ‘happy to be on camera,’ and said that ‘as a Shining fan myself, it was a delight to see her laugh.’
To make things easier, the film crew ended up traveling to Texas to shoot her scenes at her home, which she is mostly seen in a wheelchair.
The Forest Hills is actually based on another of Goldberg’s short films, Danielle’s Revenge (2007); with the idea that he would update and expand the story to give an an alternative take on the feature.
In the trailer, Duvall appears to play one horrible mother, who can be seen chain-smoking while asking her son Rico about that time she locked him and his sister in the car.
Duvall announced her retirement from acting in 2002 after appearing in the comedy Manna From Heaven, although she did make an appearance on a controversial episode of the Dr. Phil in 2016, where she revealed she’d been suffering from mental illness.
The interview drew some backlash from fans, who criticized Dr. Phil for ‘showboating the visibly ill’ for all to see for ratings, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Vivian Kubrick — the daughter of The Shining director Stanley Kubrick — was among the interview’s critics, who called the daytime talk show out for a lack of ‘compassionate healing.’
While she appeared in a number of high-profile roles, she is best remembered for her chilling portrayal as Wendy Torrance in The Shining (1980), opposite jack Nicholson
Ultimately, Duvall died at her home in Blanco, Texas on July 11 as a result of complications from diabetes, she was 75-years-old
Ultimately, Duvall died at her home in Blanco, Texas on July 11 as a result of complications from diabetes.
Along with Annie Hall (1977). and The Shining (1980), the eclectic actress is also best known for her work in such films as Popeye (1980), Time Bandits (1981), Roxanne (1987), as well as a number of guest roles on television.
The Forest Hills premiered at Smodcastle Cinemas, a theater in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey on March 11, 2023.
After gaining distribution the official widespread release for the film is now set for October 4.
