‘Once Upon a Time’ Alums Elizabeth Mitchell & Elizabeth Lail Cast in Freeform’s ‘Dead of Summer’
Freeform’s upcoming camp horror series “Dead of Summer” from the “Once Upon a Time” creators has cast “OUAT” alums Elizabeth Mitchell and Elizabeth Lail in starring roles, Variety has learned.
Both Mitchell and Lail play camp counselors in the summer camp-themed horror anthology project. On “Once Upon a Time,” Mitchell played the Snow Queen throughout season four, and Lail played Anna in the ABC show’s “Frozen” storyline.
Created by “Once Upon a Time” creators Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis and writer Ian Goldberg, “Dead of Summer” is set in the late ’80s at Camp Clearwater, a seemingly idyllic Midwestern summer camp known for first loves, first kisses — and first kills. Throughout the first season, Clearwater’s dark, ancient mythology awakens and what was supposed to be a summer of fun turns into one of unforgettable scares and evil at every turn.
Mitchell will play Deb, the new owner of Camp Clearwater. Once a camper herself, Deb has her heart set on bringing back the magic of the summer camp she loved, but behind closed doors, she seems to value her control over the camp for a much darker reason.
Lail has been cast as Amy, a clever but nervous camp counselor who’s new to Camp Clearwater. Amy is not unfamiliar with being the new girl in social situations and the pitfalls that come with it, so she tries hard to fit in with the other counselors as others reminisce about their past summers at camp, and Amy is the first to discover clues that something disturbing is going on at Clearwater.
The duo joins previously announced “Dead of Summer” counselors Zelda Williams (“Teen Wolf”), Mark Indelicato (“Ugly Betty”), Alberto Frezza (“Charlie’s Angels”), Eli Goree (“The 100”), Ronen Rubenstein (“Orange Is the New Black”) and Paulina Singer (“Gotham”).
“Dead of Summer” landed a straight-to-series order this past November. Horowitz, Kitsis and Goldberg are writing and exec producing the series, with Horowitz and Kitsis directing the first episode. ABC Signature Studios will produce.
Production begins on “Dead of Summer” in March. No premiere date has been set.
Mitchell also starred in “Lost,” “Revolution” and will next be seen in “The Purge 3,” which is slated for a summer release. She is repped by Paradigm and Link Entertainment. Lail is repped by ICM and Authentic.
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