Emilie Bierre & Joelle Farrow Join Emilie Hirsch, Justin Long, & Kevin Connolly In ‘LICE’

Emilie Bierre and Joelle Farrow join Emile Hirsch, Justin Long, and Kevin Connolly in ActionPark Productions’ high school horror feature, “LICE”

Highland Film Group will be handling international sales with production recently wrapped in Canada

Critically acclaimed actress Emilie Bierre (the Berlinale title “A Colony”, Peacock’s “Teacup”) and rising star Joelle Farrow (Adam MacDonald’s upcoming “This is Not a Test”, Paramount+’s “SkyMed”) have joined the cast of the upcoming horror feature, “Lice”, it was announced today.

They join a strong ensemble led by Emile Hirsch (“Into the Wild”, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), Justin Long (“Barbarian”, “Jeepers Creepers”), and Kevin Connolly (“Entourage”, “The Notebook”), who also stars and produces with Jeremy Alter (David Lynch’s “Inland Empire”, “The Up and Comer”), and Gary Goldman (“Entourage”, “The Up and Comer”) under Connolly’s ActionPark Productions banner.

“Lice”, described as a horror mashup of “The Breakfast Club” and “Lord of the Flies”, follows a deadly outbreak of the parasite at a Long Island high school in the 1980s.

When the school goes under military lockdown, the itch-crazed students turn on each other in a desperate struggle to survive.

Emile Hirsch stars as burned-out science teacher Mr. Shanker, who finds new purpose as he investigates the bloodthirsty mites, Justin Long as Principal Van, a man who is out of his depth and soon out of his mind, and Connolly as the tenacious Detective Sikorski, the desperate cop on the outside racing against time to contain the outbreak before it consumes the entire town.

Director/cinematographer Jonathan Bensimon makes his feature directorial debut with a script written by Anthony Musella and Shaun Harris (“The Hemingway Thief”), from an original concept by Connolly in this stylized horror film blending body horror, black comedy, and biting social satire.

With its retro setting and practical effects, the film pays homage to ’80s cult classics while delivering a bold, modern twist.

Highland Film Group is repping international rights and launched sales at the Marché du Film, with production recently wrapping in Canada

Emilie Bierre won the Canadian Screen Award (Canada’s Academy Award) for Best Actress for her breakout performance in “A Colony” (Une colonie) and was named a TIFF Rising Star.

Known for her emotional depth and screen presence, she brings gravitas to a film that balances high-concept horror with psychological intensity.

“I was thrilled to be asked to join this ride,” said Bierre. “What immediately drew me in was Jonathan’s unique vision for the film — it’s creepy, imaginative, and completely unexpected. I’m very excited for all horror fans to discover what we’ve been working on.”

Joelle Farrow, a versatile actress known for her work in the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation “This is Not a Test” and the Paramount+ series “SkyMed”, plays a pivotal role in the unraveling chaos.

“This has been such a creatively charged and unforgettable experience,” said Farrow. “It’s been an absolute joy working with Kevin Connolly — his guidance, support, and hands-on collaboration as both an actor and filmmaker have been incredibly inspiring. The energy on set has been electric, and this team is building something really special.”

The ensemble cast also features Riley Davis, Tom Keat, Annamarie Kasper, Cooper Levy, Christian Meer, Gage Munroe, Devyn Nekoda, Sabrina Saudin, and Milton Torres Lara.

U.S. casting was handled by Sheila Jaffe and Bryan Riley.

Canadian casting was led by Sara Kay.

Highland Film Group’s current slate also includes the espionage action thriller “Stratagem” starring Noomi Rapace and Teo Yoo; Gary Fleder’s thriller “Just Play Dead” starring Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Green; the action crime thriller “Wardriver” starring Dane DeHaan and Sasha Calle; the action-thriller “Dedication” starring Daisy Ridley; Adrian Grunberg’s action-thriller “Protector” starring Milla Jovovich; Justin Chadwick’s action thriller “Sierra Madre” starring Kiefer Sutherland; Allan Ungar’s action-comedy “London Calling” starring Josh Duhamel and Jeremy Ray Taylor; and the sci-fi thriller “The Astronaut” from producer Brad Fuller and starring Kate Mara and Lawrence Fishburne, which had its world premiere at SXSW.

Emilie Bierre is repped by Thruline Entertainment and the Gersh Agency.

Joelle Farrow is represented by Julia Schneider at Ambition Talent and Steve Smith at Stagecoach Entertainment.