The Rule Of Jenny Pen: Release date news, cast details, streaming details and more about the upcoming horror adaptation starring John Lithgow

Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), who once captained the legendary Black Pearl, is now in a wheelchair in The Rule of Jenny Pen. Joining him is Jerry (John Lithgow), Barney's lame suburban dad, who is now a master of a pugnacious puppet and elderly people living in a neglected retirement home.

It is based on a short story by Owen Marshall, who has written a handful of them, and written by Eli Kent, a playwright and actor from New Zealand. Interestingly, the film is shot in New Zealand.

Recently, Vertigo Releasing dropped a trailer for the film, and that's dark. The first thing likely to arrive in the viewer's mind is how these retirement homes are dangerous. Not owing to the antagonist of the film but the institutional neglect. At least Nurse Mildred Ratched looked after the residents in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).

When is The Rule of Jenny Pen releasing?

The James Ashcroft film, which is the director here, premiered on September 19, 2024, at the Fantastic Fest, followed by another at the Sitges Film Festival the following month. Between this, IFC Films and Shudder bought the distribution rights of the film.

Now, The Rule of Jenny Pen is set to hit the screens on March 7, 2025, in New Zealand. Galaxy Pictures is in charge of the region, while IFC and Shudder will do the same for North America, the UK, and Ireland.

Where the film will be streaming?

The film will be streaming on Shudder beginning March 28, 2025. Fans can buy a subscription that'll cost them $6.99 for a month. Other than that, the film isn't listed for streaming on other platforms.

Leading cast of The Rule of Jenny Pen

John Lithgow from Pet Sematary (2019) plays the psychotic Dave Crealy in The Rule of Jenny Pen. He will be the primary antagonist, having a childlike intellect, which adds more of that creepiness to the character.

He has appeared in films like The Accountant (2016), Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), Conclave (2024), and more. As for the accolades, he has been nominated for a couple of Academy Awards.

Next up is Geoffrey Rush, who plays Stefan Mortensen, a judge now bound to a wheelchair. That will be interesting when an evil man comes across a lawman. Given Stefan's disability, he will be like a toy to Crealy.

Rush got mainstream attention for his role as the pirate captain Hector Barbossa, but he already bagged an Oscar before that happened. That would be in 1996 for Shine.

Other confirmed members of The Rule of Jenny Pen are listed below.

Nathaniel Lees as Sonny Ausage
Thomas Sainsbury as Carer Mike
Maaka Pohatu as Dr. Neels
Ian Mune as Howie Wicker
Anapela Polataivao as Carer Jasmine
Bruce Phillips as Peter Llewyn
Yvette Parsons as Carer Tania
George Henare as Tony Garfield
Holly Shanahan as Madeline Shepard
Paolo Rotondo as Psychologist
Irene Wood as Olive Shaw
Hannah Lynch as Carer Joy
Ginette McDonald as Sally Pile
Semu Filipo as Coach
Nick Blake as Tobias Popanovich
Richard Chapman as Musician

What is The Rule of Jenny Pen about?

The film's story will put Lithgow's and Rush's characters in the center, where the former has an upper hand. As for synopsis (via Rotten Tomatoes), here's what we have got.

Arrogant Judge Stefan Mortensen suffers a near-fatal stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed and confined to a retirement home. Resistant to the staff and distant from his friendly roommate, Mortensen soon clashes with seemingly gentle resident Dave Crealy who secretly terrorizes the home with a sadistic game called "The Rule of Jenny Pen" while wielding his dementia doll as an instrument of cruelty. What begins as childish torment quickly escalates into far more sinister and disturbing incidents. When Mortensen's pleas to the staff go unanswered, he takes it upon himself to put an end to Crealy's reign of terror.

The trailer has already showcased the tensions that'll go in there, where one thing's clear: Royal Pine Mews isn't really a great place for the elderly.

Edited by Debanjana

Help Us Improve