‘Cuckoo’: Release Date, Cast, Plot, and Everything We Know About Hunter Schafer's Horror Movie (2024)

We are going crazy for the upcoming horror flick Cuckoo, which is already shaping up to be one of the most intriguing horror films to watch out for in 2024. Produced and set to be distributed by the independent film company NEON, horror fans around the world are surely hoping that it will be just as successful as their previous movies. The company has previously worked with multiple foreign and domestic filmmakers, many of whom are high-profile names in the industry today, including Bong Joon-ho (Parasite), Sara Dosa (Fire of Love), Joachim Trier (The Worst Person in the World), and Laura Poitras (All the Beauty and the Bloodshed). Cuckoo is being directed by Tilman Singer, an up-and-coming director in the genre of horror whose previous work includes the award-winning 2018 film Luz.

Horror movies have been around for over a century beginning with films like Nosferatu, Frankenstein, and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari standing the test of time as some of the most enduring classics in the genre. After so many years of watching horror movies, you may think that audiences might become fed up with the same old scare tactics and boogeymen. But if you love the horror genre and are looking for a fresh take, then Cuckoo may be right up your (dark and spooky) alley.

Read on to find out all the latest details that have been revealed about Cuckoo, including what we know about the plot, who will be in the cast, and the creative team behind the film.

Editor's Note: This piece was updated on April 5, 2024.

Cuckoo (2024)

Horror

See Also

Hunter Schafer Celebrates First Lead Role in Berlin Horror Film ‘Cuckoo’: ‘The Training Wheels Are Off, Babe’Cuckoo: Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens on Getting Creepy for Tilman Singer's New Horror FilmCuckoo: Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, Jessica Henwick horror movie gets a May release dateCuckoo’s director hopes young people sneak into his movie and blow their minds

Mystery

Thriller

810

A 17-year old girl is forced to move with her family to a resort where things are not what they seem.

Release Date

May 3, 2024

Director

Tilman Singer

Cast

Hunter Schafer , Dan Stevens , Jessica Henwick , Marton Csokas , Astrid Bergès-Frisbey , Greta Fernández , Kalin Morrow , Mila Lieu

Runtime

102 Minutes

Main Genre

Horror

Writers

Tilman Singer

Does 'Cuckoo' Have a Release Date?

Cuckoo is slated for release on August 9, 2024. The indie horror flick will premiere exclusively in movie theaters and will be opening against the video game movie Borderlands starring Cate Blanchett and Kevin Hart, and the sports drama The Fire Inside starring Brian Tyree Henry. The film had originally been scheduled for release on May 3, 2024, but was delayed.

Cuckoo previously had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2024. The movie had additional screenings at SXSW and the Overlook Film Festival.

Is There a Trailer for 'Cuckoo?'

Neon released a 30-second teaser trailer for Cuckoo on February 8, 2024, right before the film's world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival.

Neon released the full trailer for Cuckoo on April 3, 2024, after the trailer first premiered exclusively in movie theaters in front of Immaculate, another NEON horror film starring a Euphoria alum (Sydney Sweeney).

What Is 'Cuckoo' About?

The plot of Cuckoo centers around Gretchen, a 17-year-old girl who is forced to move with her family to a resort. However, the reality of the place is very different from the idyllic paradise we see at first glance. We know that Cuckoo is part of the horror genre, and therefore things may start out pleasantly enough but are bound to go awry. The teaser photos for the film show the lead star, Hunter Schafer, looking distressed and injured. A mysterious and ominous figure is shown chasing her in the background, making it all the more creepy.

The official plot synopsis for Cuckoo from NEON reads:

Reluctantly, 17-year-old Gretchen leaves her American home to live with her father, who has just moved into a resort in the German Alps with his new family. Arriving at their future residence, they are greeted by Mr. König, her father's boss, who takes an inexplicable interest in Gretchen's mute half-sister Alma. Something doesn't seem right in this tranquil vacation paradise. Gretchen is plagued by strange noises and bloody visions until she discovers a shocking secret that also concerns her own family.

Who's In the Cast of Cuckoo?

It is exciting that Hunter Schafer is finally making her feature film debut but that doesn't mean she is a complete newcomer to the business though. Schafer started her career as a fashion model and is best known for playing Jules Vaughn on the Emmy-winning HBO teen drama, Euphoria. She also voiced the character of Ruka in the English animated version of the anime movie, Belle. Fans can also look forward to seeing Schafer in the upcoming prequel to The Hunger Games titled The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

Apart from Schafer, Cuckoo also boasts a stellar supporting cast that includes Dan Stevens, Marton Csókás, Greta Fernández, Jessica Henwick, and Jan Bluthardt, among others. You may have seen Stevens as Matthew Crawley in the popular period drama Downton Abbey. Marton Csókás is perhaps best known for his roles in projects The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Return of the King, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Alice in Wonderland, and many more films and TV shows. Greta Fernández first burst onto the scene in the mid-2000s and since then has worked on multiple movies and television shows including A Thief's Daughter and Embers. Henwick is another popular actor with some great work under her belt, with her more recent film work including the 2022 Rian Johnson film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. As for Bluthardt, it will be her second time working with the director after she starred in his first film, Luz.

Other actors who were supposed to be involved with the project but are reportedly no longer involved, presumably due to scheduling issues, include John Malkovich (Dangerous Liaisons), Sofia Boutella (Atomic Bonde), and Gemma Chan (Eternals).

Who Is Making 'Cuckoo'?

Cuckoo is written and directed by Tilman Singer, a German filmmaker and relative newcomer to Hollywood. This will be Singer's second full-length film that he is directing, having previously directed the shorts El Fin del Mundo and The Events at Mr. Yamamoto's Alpine Residence. His first feature film, Luz, which he also wrote, was a possession thriller that received positive critical reception. It was particularly lauded for its experimental techniques and fresh approach to horror film tropes. Luz encourages viewers to use their minds and figure out the mystery of the film, rather than relying on cheap scares to satisfy. If history is to repeat itself, we can expect something similar from Cuckoo.

Much of the crew worked together on Singer's first film or his other short films. Returning crew members include Paul Faltzand (Neo Magazin) as cinematographer, Henning Hein (Tatort) as sound designer, Simon Waskow (The Events at Mr. Yamamoto's Alpine Residence) as the composer, and Dario Mendez Acosta (El Fin del Mundo) as the production designer. Executive producers include Tom Quinn (Crimes of the Future), Jeff Deutchman (Infinity Pool), Emily Thomas, and Ryan Friscia. As we stated before, the film is produced by NEON, a company that's been releasing some excellent movies recently that have been big hits with critics. Their biggest success to date is probably their distribution work for the South Korean film Parasite (2019), which won four Oscars at the 92nd Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Other companies involved in the production side include Fiction Park (Germany) and Waypoint Entertainment (U.S.). Cuckoo has also received funding from Film und Medien Stiftung NRW, HessenFilm, and the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF).

When and Where Was 'Cuckoo' Filmed?

As those who are familiar with Tilman Singer's work would know, the director often uses experimental and retro filming techniques. Luz was shot on 16mm and the new movie, Cuckoo, has been shot on 35mm film, rather than using digital cameras, so that's already something unique that we can look forward to. As for the actual production details, Cuckoo was filmed from May 2022 to June 2022, in locations across North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.