The Winchester Mystery House is almost ready for its closeup. Production on “Winchester,” a supernatural thriller starring Helen Mirren as Sarah Winchester, kicked off Wednesday in Melbourne, Australia.
Filming at Winchester’s landmark Victorian mansion in San Jose — which has been a tourist destination since shortly after her death in 1922 — is expected to take place in May. The movie’s being directed by Australian identical twins Michael and Peter Spierig, who also wrote the screenplay.
The story follows the familiar — though probably fictional — lore that Winchester had the house continuously under construction for more than two decades to appease the spirits of those killed by the famous rifles made by her husband’s family. A skeptical San Francisco psychiatrist played by Jason Clarke (from “Terminator: Genisys”) investigates and creepiness ensues.
Sarah Snook (“The Dressmaker,” The Glass Castle) and Angus Sampson (“Insidious,” TV’s “Fargo”) have also been announced as part of the cast of the CBS Films production, expected to be released in 2018.
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