Focus picks up Lenny Abrahamson, Domhnall Gleeson ghost story 'The Little Stranger'

Focus Features has picked up worldwide rights to Lenny Abrahamson’s upcoming The Little Stranger, starring Charlotte Rampling, Domhnall Gleeson, Ruth Wilson and Will Poulter.

The deal excludes the UK, France and Switzerland, where Pathé will distribute.

Abrahamson, who earned a best directing Oscar nomination for Room, will direct the ghost story this summer in the UK in time for a 2018 release.

The Little Stranger takes place in a remote English village after the end of the Second World War as a doctor attends to an ailing parlourmaid at a family estate haunted by a malevolent ghost.

Lucinda Coxon, who adapted The Danish Girl for Focus, adapted The Little Stranger from Sarah Waters’ novel of the same name.

The Little Stranger is a Focus Features, Pathé, and Film4 presentation in association with Ingenious Media and the Irish Film Board of a Potboiler production in association with Element Pictures.

Gail Egan serves as producer with Andrea Calderwood and Ed Guiney. Executive producers are Pathé’s Cameron McCracken, Film4’s Daniel Battsek, Irish Film Board’s Celine Haddad, Ingenious’ Tim O’Shea, and Element’s Andrew Lowe.

The film was developed by Potboiler and Film4 with Element Films.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Lenny, a filmmaker who has proven to redefine every genre he takes on,” Focus chairman Peter Kujawski said. “We are excited to be partnering once again with our good friends at Pathé and Film4 on The Little Stranger, a classic ghost story to chill moviegoers.”