The real star of the haunted-house movie ‘The Parenting' is a 29-room mansion at Doyle Community Park in Leominster
'The Parenting,' which premieres Thursday on Max, is based on a screenplay by Kent Sublette, who is one of 'Saturday Night Live''s head writers. It's a throwback, Johnson said, to the lighthearted jump-scare flicks of their shared 1980s youth — 'Beetlejuice,' 'Gremlins,' 'Ghostbusters.'
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Nik Dodani, left, and Brandon Flynn in "The Parenting."
Seacia Pavao/Warner Bros. Entertainment
The film imagines a gay couple (played by Nik Dodani and Brandon Flynn) who have invited their parents to join them for a getaway. Rohan's mother and father (Falco and Cox) are uptight and proper; Flynn's folks (Kudrow and Dean Norris, who played Hank Schrader on 'Breaking Bad') are fountains of corny jokes.
The impending nightmare of the two families' mutual discomfort takes an enormous twist when the house they've rented proves to be possessed. It was the site of a teenage seance in the 1980s, one that led to the deaths of three people and the ongoing presence of an evil demon.
This mansion at the Doyle Community Park in Leominster was used for exterior shots of the haunted house in the movie "The Parenting."
The Trustees
Exterior shots of the grand manor at the center of the film were taken at the
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'It was fun to be here when they were filming,' said Anna Wilkins, a director at the North County Land Trust, which leases office space in the complex. She said the crew ordered truckloads of snow for an exterior scene.
The filming became a point of pride for the locals, she said. 'North Central Massachusetts sometimes gets ignored, but for the folks who live here, it's a pretty awesome place.'
Edie Falco and Brian Cox in "The Parenting."
Seacia Pavao/Warner Bros. Entertainment
The film's cast fell into place after Cox signed on. Before shooting the final season of 'Succession,' the veteran actor was looking for something completely different, said Johnson in a video call earlier this week. He got it, and then some: After encountering the demon, Cox's character, Gerald, goes off the deep end.
'I had a failure of imagination,' Johnson recalled with a laugh. 'The studio wanted him, and I was like, 'Good luck. He's never gonna do it. Did you read the script? It's this crazy-demon, haunted house, silly projectile-vomit movie.' But he loved the script.'
As Gerald's wife, Falco ('The Sopranos,' 'Nurse Jackie') is a comically withering presence.
'She's not a fussy actor,' said Johnson, whose previous films include 'The Skeleton Twins' with Bill Hader and Kristin Wiig (2014). When he asked Falco if she had any questions about her character, Dorothy, she replied, 'No, I think I get her.'
'And she gave this lived-in, funny, perfectly calibrated performance,' he added.
Edie Falco in "The Parenting."
Seacia Pavao/Warner Bros. Entertainment
The rest of the cast followed suit, Johnson said. Posey, who plays a loony former goth kid who is the house's caretaker, has been delighting fans of 'The White Lotus' with her eccentric Southern belle in the show's current season.
'She's nice and kooky in this movie, too,' said Johnson. 'She brings her own wild ideas to the table, which I'm very open to, and so is Kent.'
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Though Sublette wrote the script before he and Johnson met, the director said he could relate to the theme of the two families' awkward first meeting. He was raised in the 'crunchy Pacific Northwest,' he said. Meanwhile, the parents of his partner of 19 years, the food and humor writer Adam Roberts, are from Boca Raton, Fla.
'When they first met, it was like they were from different planets,' said Johnson.
'I was really interested in a larger theme, which is that there are evil forces in this world, and those evil forces rely on us little squabbling humans to fight with each other over our stupid issues,' he said. 'The demon in the movie sows discord. And that's a tactic to take over the world.'
The film plays a horrifying ordeal for laughs, and Johnson has fond memories of the shoot.
'I had a blast,' he said. 'I'd go back in a heartbeat.'
James Sullivan can be reached at jamesgsullivan@gmail.com.
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In the trailer, which you can watch below, we see Tom Sturridge back as Dream of the Endless, still being gloomy while trying to navigate his family of eternal elements. Oh, and the end of the world as we know it, since Lucifer (Gwendoline Christie) isn't too happy after Dream got the better of them in season 1. 'The Sandman' season 2: What happened in season 1? Spoilers for 'The Sandman' season 1 follow "The Sandman" follows the tale of Morpheus, one of a powerful group of beings called the Endless. They are like Gods in that they are immortal and have powers unimaginable but they are meant to exist in concert with gods and men. Morpheus's purview is the realm known as the Dreaming, where he uses his tools and gifts to provide all creatures a place of escape during their slumbering hours. Season 1 of "The Sandman" largely followed the first two collections of Neil Gaiman's 75-issue run of "The Sandman" for DC Comics. The first collection is called Preludes and Nocturnes, which the TV show covers across the first six episodes of the season. This arc follows Morpheus/Dream (Tom Sturridge) as he recovers his tools following his kidnapping by Roderick Burgess (Charles Dance). This journey eventually leads Morpheus and his raven Matthew (Patton Oswalt) to Hell, where Morpheus faces off against Lucifer (Gwendoline Christie) in a game of wits. Morpheus defeats Lucifer and recovers his helm but also earns the devil's ire — something that will most likely have consequences in season two. Upon his return to the mortal plane, Morpheus must contend with John Dee (David Thewlis), who is the son of Burgess and Ethel Cripps (Joely Richardson). Dee possesses Morpheus's ruby, which is an immensely powerful tool and he initially seems to destroy Morpheus with it. But instead, Dee makes a critical error and Morpheus defeats him, returning the power of the Dreaming solely into Morpheus's hands. 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Everything comes to a head at a serial killer convention, where the Corinthian is the keynote speaker. Morpheus confronts and unmakes the Corinthian with the assistance of Rose, who has reunited with Jed. Morpheus then sends the serial killer convention attendees away to think on their crimes and Rose and Jed escape. That same night, Rose confronts Morpheus in the Dreaming where she resolves to end her life to save the dreaming, as her status as Vortex puts its very existence in jeopardy. At the last second though, Unity Kincaid arrives to save her granddaughter, who it becomes apparent is also the grandchild of Desire. Morpheus concludes that this was all a plot to trick Morpheus into spilling the blood of a family member, as Rose is his grandniece through Desire. He then confronts Desire and warns them against future scheming — advice we are sure Desire will not heed. In addition to these two plot lines, there are a couple of other storylines covered in season one. In episode six 'The Sound of Her Wings' Morpheus follows his sister Death as she shepherds people from the mortal plane. They also meet Hob Gadling (Ferdinand Kingsley), a man who does not wish to die, which is a wish that Morpheus proceeds to grant. The other two storylines are contained within episode 11 and come from the third collection of "The Sandman", called Dream Country. 'Dream of a Thousand Cats' focuses on a Siamese cat (Sandra Oh), who tells the story of how she met Morpheus (in the guise of a cat) and how he revealed to her the way cats can retake this world. 'Calliope' follows the story of the writer Richard Madoc (Arthur Darvill), who makes a bargain to acquire the imprisoned muse Calliope (Melissanthi Mahut) to inspire his writing. Morpheus, Calliope's former partner, learns of this and proceeds to break Madoc's mind until Madoc frees Calliope. 'The Sandman' season 2 plot: What to expect Potential 'The Sandman' season 2 spoilers follow Editor's note: This plot speculation was locked before the release of season 2, episode 1 on July 3, and has not been updated to reflect events that have actually occurred in season 2. "The Sandman" is an adaptation of Neil Gaiman's run of "The Sandman" for DC Comics from January 1989 to March 1996. While we cannot guarantee what will be in the show, the source material already exists. So if you do not want to be spoiled for The Sandman season two turn back now. There's very little we know for certain, though some casting decisions and set photos have given credence to some rumors. However, we did get a bit of concrete news in "The Sandman" director Jamie Childs' October 2023 interview with Screen Rant. Childs directed four of "The Sandman" season 1's 11 episodes and says that they are officially back for season 2. He also says "We know what worked and didn't" and to expect a wide variety of genres from season 2. "We're doing Greek tragedy, and then we're doing cyberpunk, and we're doing contemporary drama, or we're doing cat and mouse chess stuff." It looks like there will be a bit of something for everyone. Since season one focused on the first two and a half collections, the reasonable expectation is that the second season will complete Dream Country and then also cover the fourth and fifth collections. These collections are called Season of Mists and A Game of You, respectively. Neil Gaiman has even confirmed some of this, telling Variety in an interview that at least part of season two will focus on Season of Mists. Gaiman seemingly doubled down on this plan, saying in an interview with RadioTimes that the second season would cover volumes three, four and five. "Our plans for the second season is the second two graphic novels, which technically, in this case, will be books four and five, with some bits of the short stories in book three scattered among some other stuff." Of course, now we have news that Netflix may not even call the next batch of "Sandman" episodes "season two" but for now we will proceed as though it were a second season given that Gaiman has discussed both Season of Mists and A Game of You as probable season two storylines. In true "The Sandman" fashion, these two volumes are largely disparate storylines. Season of Mists is truly epic and may ultimately become most viewers' favorite storyline in "The Sandman". It starts with Lucifer abdicating the rule of Hell and giving the keys to Morpheus, who then has to determine who will rule Hell. A swarm of gods from all over descends on the Dreaming and pleads their cases to Morpheus. We won't tell you who wins, but there's a fun Easter egg at the end for DC Comics fans. Season of Mists ends with Lucifer on a beach, retired from Hell, which is the start of the Lucifer comic book series that eventually became its own Netflix show. A Game of You brings back an unexpected character: Barbie. Barbie (Lily Travers) was a housemate of Rose Walker's in season one at a bed and breakfast they were both staying at in Florida. Barbie has a very particular dream that has her as the princess of a fantasy world joined by her fantastical creature and companion Martin Tenbones (Lenny Henry). In A Game of You, Barbie becomes ensnared in a plot by a villain called the Cuckoo, who crosses the dream world and real world to cause chaos in both. In an interview with Logo, Neil Gaiman seemingly confirmed that at least part of "The Sandman" season two will focus on the A Game of You storyline. This came about from questioning about the character Wanda, a transgender woman formerly known as Alvin Mann (I only mention her former name as it is likely both will be used in the show like they were in the comic run) who is Barbie's best friend. Gaiman has said, "It's going to be so much fun casting fabulous trans actors," in reference to Wanda. However, there's since been some suggestion that A Game of You is getting pushed further down the timeline. In its leak where What's on Netflix put forth a tentative start to filming in Summer 2023, it also suggested that A Game of You has been pushed back and instead, this new batch of episodes could focus partially on volume 7 of Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" run: Brief Lives. This is partially based on the rumor that Netflix is looking to cast Destruction of the Endless, who first appears in Brief Lives. Destruction has already been mentioned briefly in season one of The "Sandman", though so far viewers only know of him as "The Prodigal." There's been further evidence to support the theory that Brief Lives will be the focus of this next batch of episodes. Photographs from the set of "The Sandman" in June 2023 show actor Ruairi O'Connor, resembling Orpheus — the son of Dream and Calliope — conversing with his father. Orpheus does not meet with Dream in the Gaiman comics run until Brief Lives, so there seems to be serious credibility to this rumor. Additionally, there are further casting rumors suggesting that Brief Lives will be part of the next batch of "Sandman" episodes. According to a late-October 2023, Redanian Intelligence article announced several new casting rumors, including Daphne Alexander as Bromie and Tafline Steen as Xantho, both members of the Maenad, a Greek religious order that murders Orpheus. Netflix, however, has yet to confirm any of these rumored casting announcements. Reportedly, Orpheus' involvement could also be related to an episode covering the "Sandman" comic issue "The Sandman" Special #1: The Song of Orpheus. This special issue tells the tale of Orpheus' wedding to the nymph Eurydice, and What's on Netflix says that Eurydice, Persephone and Hades have all been cast in an effort to bring this story to streaming. Charlotte Bate has reportedly been cast as a character named Talley (or Tally), an unknown character who is possibly a stand-in for Persephone. Another casting rumor that adds further confusion to what's coming next is that Wanda, who as we mentioned is a key part of A Game of You, is still expected to be cast for this next batch of episodes. However, she could now be replacing the character Ruby DeLonge in Brief Lives rather than immediately portraying her iconic A Game of You role. And Wanda may, in fact, be cast! In set photos from the Daily Mail, early filming has reportedly included Indya Moore. The transgender and non-binary actor is shown on set with Morpheus and it would make sense for them to be cast in the role of Wanda given that Gaiman wants to do the role justice and cast a trans actor. Moore is also of Afro-Caribbean ancestry, as is Ruby Delonge in the Gaiman comics. So if Moore is Wanda, the rumor that Wanda and Ruby and being combined into a single character becomes a lot more substantial. However, it should be noted that this is entirely my own speculation based on the evidence at hand, and by no means official. In a further casting wrinkle, there have also been some hints of "The Sandman" bringing back a fan favorite earlier than expected. Boyd Holbrook's The Corinthian was a massive success in season one, and the character was significantly more involved than in the comics. The Corinthian eventually is remade by Dream and becomes involved in later storylines, including the current run of "The Sandman" Universe: Nightmare Country by James Tynion IV. A recent interview with Entertainment Weekly gave some hints that Holbrook is interested in reprising his role in season two or season three — and he may get his wish. "I've been getting some information trickling down about that. I think we'll go back maybe in the summer [2023] to start doing some stuff, but I don't know when they'll call me, if it'll be season 2 or be season 3." So we may not stick firmly to the source material in future episodes of the show. Or at least, not the chronological order laid out by the comics. Regardless of which of those stories may be adapted, expect to see more of Kirby Howell-Baptiste's Death in season 2. In an exclusive with Collider, Howell-Baptiste confirmed that she will be appearing in more episodes. It appears this is something that fans have been clamoring for, so it will be interesting to see how Gaiman and the showrunners integrate her more into the story. In addition to these possible storylines, season two should get an episode that contains the final two chapters from Dream Country. 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' has William Shaxberd (Samuel Blenkin) and his troupe of actors performing the famous Shakespearean (or Shaxberdian in this world) play for a special audience. 'Facade' meanwhile, focuses on Element Girl struggling with her life after an unpleasant career as a superhero. It seems that 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' will almost certainly be filmed at some point, as Netflix is reportedly casting King Auberon and Queen Titania of the Faeries. They appear in this specific storyline, so it would be odd for them to be cast and 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' not to get at least part of an episode. These two stories are anthological in feel, lacking almost any connection to the other stories in "The Sandman" universe. That is why they will most likely get the same treatment that 'Dream of a Thousand Cats' and 'Calliope' received in season one.
