‘Martin’ Alum Carl Anthony Payne II To Lead Indie Horror ‘The Grove’ 

EXCLUSIVE: Carl Anthony Payne II (Martin, Binged to Death), Acoryé White (Juanita, Under the Stadium Lights), and Guxci (Night Games) have signed on to star in the indie horror feature The Grove. 

The script is co-written by White and Patrycja Kępa, who will also co-direct under their Anchored Lens Productions company. The project follows the pair’s previous collaboration on 2023’s Trinket Box. 

The Grove follows a soldier’s homecoming, which takes a dark turn when he forgets to take an experimental medication, triggering a deadly descent into animalistic madness. What was supposed to be a relaxing lake house getaway with friends becomes a fight for survival, testing the limits of love and sanity.

Alestair Shu (Shelter), Graham Edmonds (S.W.A.T.), influencer Anushka Van Lent (When the Ringlights Dim), Jesus Venegas (Bosch Legacy), and Jolena Wu (Eiknuj) round out the supporting cast.

Trinket Box executive producers Tru’Kessa S. Scott, Nelson E. Barnes Jr., and Kennan Walay are all returning for The Grove. Stacey Johnson is also on board as an associate producer. Production is set to start in Atlanta this April, with plans to debut at the Dreamscape International Film Festival in September 2024.

Acoryé White is repped by J Pervis Talent and Robert Stein Management. Carl Anthony Payne II is repped by J Pervis Talent. Psalms Salazar is repped by Aperture Talent. Guxci is repped by Affinity Artists Agency and Bravura Entertainment & Management.