Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Demián Bichir to Star in Álex de la Iglesia's Action-Thriller 'Hold the Devil'

Oscar winner Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Oscar nominee Demián Bichir are set to lead the cast of 'Hold the Devil,' a supernatural action-thriller directed by Álex de la Iglesia, Variety reported. The project, written by Joe Barton of 'Black Doves,' is being launched at the Cannes market by Protagonist Pictures, which is handling international sales.

The Details

According to Variety, Randolph will play police officer Sara Myall, and Bichir will play security guard Henry Campos. The two characters become entangled with a wounded mother, her son Gio, and a cartel leader who is pursuing the boy because of a supernatural power he possesses — the confrontation unfolding at an abandoned Texas border show home, Variety reported.

Variety described the film as blending grounded action with supernatural horror. The production brings together Two & Two Pictures, Fifth Season, and Pokeepsie Films as producers, according to Variety.

Director Álex de la Iglesia explained his attraction to the project in a statement reported by Variety. "What drew me to this project was the opportunity to blend action and horror in a way that feels both cinematic and deeply human," de la Iglesia said.

On the sales side, CAA Media Finance is representing domestic rights, Variety reported. Executive producers named by Variety include Protagonist CEO Dave Bishop, James Pugh, George Hamilton, and Corin Hardy.

Bishop described the film's commercial positioning in a statement carried by Variety. "Alex is a filmmaker with a proven track record of making bold impactful movies and with 'Hold the Devil' he is taking it to the next level, delivering elevated genre storytelling with a broad commercial appeal," Bishop said.

The script is credited to Joe Barton, whose previous work includes 'Black Doves,' according to Variety. Production start timing and financing details were not disclosed in the announcement, Variety noted.

Context

The casting announcement was reported by Variety as an exclusive. At the time of the research pass that produced this brief, a Google News search for the project surfaced only the Variety item. A separate Bing web search likewise did not return independent trade confirmation, according to the research brief, suggesting the announcement had not yet been matched by other outlets.

The project is being positioned as a Cannes market title, with Protagonist Pictures launching international sales during the festival. CAA Media Finance is handling domestic rights, Variety reported, while no buyer or studio has been announced for either territory as of the time of Variety's report.

What's Next

According to Variety, international sales are actively underway at Cannes through Protagonist Pictures. CAA Media Finance holds domestic rights representation, Variety reported. No production start date, financing close, or distribution deal has been publicly disclosed.