Entertainment · Film · 4 hrs ago
Joseph Mazzello to star in Cecil Hotel thriller A Grim Life
Joseph Mazzello will lead supernatural thriller A Grim Life, set inside Los Angeles’ Cecil Hotel.
He plays Tom, a struggling filmmaker who works cleaning toilets while repeatedly revising his script.
Tom is drawn into a search for a lost 1931 silent film called Böse, which leads him toward a dark secret.
The Cecil Hotel provides the film’s haunted setting, with its hallways and hidden rooms helping build the suspense.
Max Beesley, Wes Studi, Carl Lumbly and Arnetia Walker are also in the cast.
Cappu Films has taken on international sales and is continuing discussions with buyers.
The film is due to enter pre-production in December 2026, with filming planned for January 2027 and delivery pencilled in for July 2027.
Joseph Mazzello will lead the cast of A Grim Life, a supernatural thriller set inside Los Angeles’ Cecil Hotel.
The film follows Tom, a struggling filmmaker whose search for an artistic breakthrough leads him toward a dark secret.
Francesco Lucente wrote and will direct the film, and Cappu Films has taken on international sales.
The project is scheduled to enter pre-production in December 2026, with filming planned for January 2027.
- Who
- Joseph Mazzello leads the cast. Francesco Lucente writes and directs.
- What
- A Grim Life is a supernatural thriller set inside the Cecil Hotel.
- When
- Pre-production is planned for December 2026, with filming scheduled for January 2027.
- Where
- The story is set inside Los Angeles’ Cecil Hotel.
- Why
- Not stated
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Variety reported that Cappu Films had picked up international sales for the film.
The project is scheduled to move into pre-production.
Filming is scheduled to begin.
Delivery is penciled in.
- Lead actor
- Joseph Mazzello
- Setting
- Los Angeles’ Cecil Hotel
- Writer and director
- Francesco Lucente
- International sales
- Cappu Films
- Planned shoot
- January 2027
1 source
What people are saying
A Grim Life is a deeply personal project for me, one that explores the darker side of ambition, obsession, and the sacrifices we make in pursuit of our dreams.
The Cecil Hotel provides an extraordinary and haunting backdrop for a story where the boundaries between reality and the supernatural begin to disappear.
while Tom’s desperation gives the story its emotional center.
Following our work with Francesco on ‘Starbright,’ we’re pleased to continue the relationship with a project that brings together a distinctive atmosphere and an experienced cast.