Paramount Pictures has boarded the new horror film “Vicious,” led by Dakota Fanning and directed by Bryan Bertino.

Fanning will star as a young woman who is left a strange present by a late-night visitor, and quickly realizes she is fighting for her life after slipping down a disturbing rabbit hole contained inside the gift.

The studio has dated the film for an Aug. 8, 2025, release. Bertino previously directed “The Dark and the Wicked” as well as the sleeper genre hit “The Strangers.” Atlas Entertainment and Richard Suckle (“American Hustle,” “Wonder Woman,” “Suicide Squad”) are producing. Melinda Whitaker will executive produce.

The project is one of several in the pipeline for Fanning, who will next be seen in Netflix’s “Ripley” alongside Andrew Scott from creator Steven Zallian She’ll also turn up in the supernatural thriller “The Watchers” from Ishana Night Shyamalan at New Line, and just wrapped production on Nicole Kidman’s “The Perfect Couple” at Netflix.

The youngest person to ever nab a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, Fanning and her sister Elle formed Lewellen Pictures in 2020 to develop feature film, television and digital projects. Lewellen is currently in production on the four-part documentary series “Mastermind” for Hulu, which chronicles the experience of the legendary Dr. Ann Burgess and her trajectory from nurse to criminal profiler for the FBI.

Lewellen is also teaming up with A24 to adapt Paris Hilton’s recently published book “Paris: The Memoir” as a TV series, and to produce “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” which will star Elle Fanning and Kidman for Apple Studios. [Source]