Arrow and House of Cards Stars Lead Chilling Adaptation of The Mortuary Assistant Game

Movies derived from popular video games may either be successful or fail to meet expectations. Not many manage to achieve both critical and financial success, such as Super Mario Bros. and an upcoming Minecraft Movie, while others end up on the list of disappointments. The latest game to receive a film adaptation is The Mortuary Assistant. Despite being in production, its cast includes two well-recognized actors. Willa Holland, recognized for her role as Thea Queen/ Speedy in Arrow on The CW and House of Cards’ Paul Sparks (who portrayed Thomas Yates), are set to lead the project. The Mortuary Assistant is a best-selling horror video game developed by Brian Clarke in 2022.

As reported by Deadline, Epic Pictures and their horror label Dread are transforming the game into a feature film adaptation. The story revolves around Rebecca Owens, a fresh recruit at River Fields Mortuary who prepares corpses under the watchful eye of her boss, Raymond Delver. This chilling tale is set in a small Connecticut town in 1998. At first, Owens, portrayed by Holland, believes her job at the mortuary to be straightforward and manageable. However, as she works the night shift, she encounters shocking supernatural powers that hinder her from completing her assigned tasks.

Rebecca discovers she’s in danger when she realizes her boss, Raymond (played by Sparks), could also be a menace. To make it through the night and safeguard her life, she needs to come up with strategies. For those new to the story and those who are familiar, this film promises a fresh chapter. Directed by Jeremiah Kipp, the adaptation delves deeper into the spectral entities that plague River Fields, broadening the game’s universe and mythology.

The screenplay for “The Mortuary Assistant” was adapted by Tracee Beebe and Brian Clarke, as per a recent update. This game was initially released on Windows on August 2, 2022, and later moved to Nintendo Switch on April 20, 2023. Currently, it’s also available on Xbox and PlayStation platforms. Given Willa Holland’s background in the video game industry, she may find it easier to portray Rebecca Owens. The actress has lent her voice to Aqua in six installments of the “Kingdom Hearts” series, with the first being “Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep,” which was launched in 2010.

What ‘The Mortuary Assistant’ Creator and Director Have to Say About Holland and The Adaption

As a die-hard movie enthusiast, let me tell you, Brian Clarke, the creative mind behind The Mortuary Assistant, and Jeremiah Kipp, the brilliant director, have nothing but praise for each other. In my opinion, they’ve both done an outstanding job in bringing this film to life. Epic Pictures, under Jeremiah’s leadership, has masterfully captured the essence of the game while infusing it with their distinctive cinematic magic.

The film’s leads, Willa and Paul, have truly breathed life into these characters, a testament to their acting skills. The entire film crew, including myself, has been honored to be part of this project. I feel incredibly fortunate and can hardly wait for fans to witness the expansion of The Mortuary Assistant into uncharted territories.

Kipp mentioned that since most of Clarke’s impacts are from cinema, the entire production feels naturally like a broadening of his distinctive gaming style. The movie captures the tense ambiance that players found incredibly terrifying, making it sure to be quite frightening.

The Mortuary Assistant is currently in production in Missouri.

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2025-04-26 17:34