William Beckett to Star in “The Fall of the House of Usher”

Edgar Allen Poe has long been one of my favorite writers. He was a man who could paint a scene of suspense and draw the reader in only to leave them breathless with fear and anticipation. He is one of two writers who has written something that has left me unable to sleep* (the other being Mark Z. Danielewski who wrote House of Leaves). And now, Nathan Wrann, the mind behind the films Hunting Season and Burning Inside, is working to bring a short film version of Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher to life.

And he is bringing along William Beckett in the leading role.

Beckett is, of course, the lead singer of The Academy Is… He’s also a writer and has dabbled in modeling in the past, but this would be his first feature film.

For those unfamiliar with Poe’s story, it features a young, unnamed narrator (played in the film version by Beckett) who travels to visit an old friend, Roderick Usher, at his family’s sprawling estate. During his visit, tragedy occurs in the House of Usher…and reality and the written word begin to collide. If you haven’t read the entire story and wish to (and I suggest you do), the full text is available online…though I might also suggest getting yourself a copy of Poe’s short stories and reading in the dark, possibly by candle light.

If you dare.

More details of the film can be found on the Kickstart page, where you can also find out how YOU might be able to help the project become a reality.

*The Poe short story that scared me that much was not, in fact, House of Usher, but another story known as The Masque of the Red Death. Check that one out, too.