The drama/thriller film The Ghost Trap, based on the novel of the same name by K. Stephens, will make its world premiere on April 19, 2024 at the RiverRun Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The film stars Zak Steiner (White Men Can’t Jump, Euphoria), Greer Grammer (Awkward, Deadly Illusions), Sarah Catherine Hook (First Kill, The White Lotus), Steven Ogg (The Walking Dead, Westworld), Taylor Takahashi (Boogie), Xander Berkeley with more than 200 film and TV credits to his name including The Terminator franchise, Shanghai Noon and Apollo 13, Sarah Clarke (Twilight), and Billy Wirth (The Lost Boys).
James Khanlarian, making his feature directorial debut, is directing from Stephens’ script, which is based on the book she authored by the same name.
The Ghost Trap, which was filmed in Maine, tells the story of Jamie Eugley (Steiner), a young lobsterman struggling with the grinding responsibilities of a head-injured girlfriend (Grammer) and a mounting trap war with a rival lobstering family. Hook plays Happy, a potential love interest of the protagonist and Ogg plays the antagonistic patriarch of the Eugley family.
“A ghost trap is a lobsterman’s wire trap that has been cut off at the surface and is lost and forgotten at the bottom,” said Stephens. “That could have been my book, published so long ago. But thanks to the producers and to my Maine lobstermen friends who believed in it and backed me up every step of the way, this film is gorgeous and gritty, featuring a culture that people rarely get to see.”
“It was such a joy to film in Maine, where the scenery and landscape create the perfect natural setting, and to have worked with such an incredibly talented cast and crew, many from Maine, North Carolina, as well as other places around the world,” said Khanlarian. “I think the entire cast wanted to move there by the end of production. Now we have our festival debut in my hometown and can’t imagine a better place for The Ghost Trap to premiere. The entire experience has come full circle and been beyond incredible.”
“This movie is not about saving the world from giant monsters, zombies, or nuclear war,” said producer Couture. “It’s about people like you and me doing real work, making mistakes and facing the challenges before them.”
Steiner is best known for his role in the hit series Euphoria as Aaron Jacobs. He can also be seen in supporting roles in White Men Can’t Jump on Hulu and A Hollywood Christmas on HBO Max.
Grammer is best known for her role as Lissa Miller in the long-running and critically acclaimed MTV series, Awkward. Most recently she produced and starred in the hit Netflix film, Deadly Illusions alongside Kristin Davis and Dermont Mulroney. Deadly Illusions went on to globally hold the #1 spot on the streaming platform.
Hook recently found her first leading role in Netflix’s series First Kill, based on V.E. Schwab’s short story, which launched her into the spotlight. She stars in the eight-episode drama series as Juliette, a vampire who falls into forbidden love with the vampire slayer, Calliope (Imani Lewis). Hook is currently filming the third season of The White Lotus for HBO Max.
Ogg currently appears in BBC’s new critically acclaimed TV show Boiling Point,, based on the hit film starring Stephen Graham. Ogg is best known for playing Simon in AMC’s The Walking Dead, Rebus in HBO’s Westworld, Sobchak in another AMC hit, Better Call Saul, Pike in TNT’s Snowpiercer, and he also played Captain Howard in Apple TV’s movie, Emancipation. Ogg has a global notoriety for his role as Trevor in the video game GTA V.
There will be a special book-signing event with cast and crew present to coincide with the film’s festival premiere at Scuppernong Books in Greensboro, N.C., on Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 2-4 pm.
The Ghost Trap is produced by Khanlarian Entertainment along with include Peter A. Couture, Simon Fawcett, Larry Mortorff, Grammer, Steiner, Khanlarian and Stephens.