Psychological Horror Feature 'The Well' Heads to Calabasas and Los Angeles in Fall 2026 With 'Get Out' Producer Attached

A compact but creatively ambitious psychological horror feature is quietly assembling its team ahead of a fall 2026 shoot in the Los Angeles area, and working professionals looking for an intimate, concept-driven independent project should take note now. The Well, a low-budget indie thriller described as a highly conceptual psychological horror film, is currently in casting and pre-production with a tight 16-day principal photography schedule set to begin October 17, 2026. With distribution already in place and a profit participation model for all cast and crew, this production is further along than many independents at a similar stage, and the hiring window is open.

The film is directed by Misko Massanyi, who also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Justin Di Sandro. Massanyi is an emerging filmmaker whose work leans into high-concept genre storytelling, and The Well is clearly a passion project built around a very specific creative vision. The script centers on a desperate man whose routine real estate transaction leads him to a remote household sheltering an ancient, energy-vampiric deity. It is a two-hander at heart, with the production description noting that most scenes involve only two people, which signals that the project is designed to maximize intensity through performance and atmosphere rather than scale. Casting is being handled by Jesse Griffiths and Victoria Hoffman, two casting directors working the project simultaneously, which suggests the team is moving actively through the talent pool right now. Agents and managers representing actors suited to slow-burn psychological horror should be reaching out.

The project carries genuine industry pedigree through its executive producing team. Gerard DiNardi, one of the executive producers on The Well, served as co-producer on Jordan Peele's Get Out, one of the most culturally significant and commercially successful horror films of the last decade, as well as on Sinister 2 for Blumhouse. His involvement signals a producer who understands how to navigate the independent horror space and bring a project to market effectively. The other executive producer, Jess Loren, serves as CEO of both Global Objects and Space Gas, the production companies co-producing alongside the film's primary entity, Alpha Well LLC. Producer Tony Krantz rounds out the producing team. Krantz is a veteran of the industry with a background spanning both film and television, and his experience in packaging and producing genre material adds another layer of credibility to the team. Paul Grimshaw, Daniel Wagner, and KT Kent are also attached as producers.

The cinematographer is Peter Field, who will be responsible for crafting the visual language of a film that will live or die by its atmosphere. For a project structured this minimally, the DP's role is especially critical. The production shoots first in Calabasas, the quiet, affluent community in the western San Fernando Valley just outside of Los Angeles, from October 17 through 28. This location choice makes practical sense for a story centered on a remote, isolated household. Calabasas offers residential and rural-adjacent properties that photograph convincingly as secluded, off-the-beaten-path settings while keeping the production within easy reach of Los Angeles-based crew and equipment. After the Calabasas location work wraps, the production moves to a sound stage in Los Angeles from November 3 through 6, giving the team a controlled environment for whatever interior or technically demanding sequences close out the shoot. The Hamilton, Ontario listing in the production data is worth noting, though the primary confirmed shooting locations are clearly in the greater Los Angeles area.

The Well is structured as a 12-day Calabasas shoot plus a four-day stage shoot, totaling 16 days of principal photography. That lean schedule, combined with the two-person scene structure, tells experienced crew a great deal about what this set will feel like: small, focused, and fast-moving. The budget is transparently disclosed as $30,000 in cash plus $170,000 in grip and electric and labor contributions, and all cast and crew are working on a profit participation basis. This is a deferred-pay independent production, and crew pursuing this project should approach it with that clearly in mind. For the right professionals, particularly those looking to build relationships with genre producers, add a credit with established horror-world pedigree, or invest creative energy in a project already positioned for distribution, The Well represents a real opportunity. Given the intimate scale, the most immediately relevant crew categories include cinematographer (confirmed), sound mixer, production designer, and a small but capable grip and electric package given the contributed equipment budget already in place.

ProductionList.com carries the full listing for The Well, including production contacts, office details, and crew roster as it is updated through pre-production. With cameras scheduled to roll this October and casting actively underway, the window to get involved is now. Check the listing regularly for updates as the production moves closer to its shoot date.

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