A new horror movie, Skill House, takes a satirical angle on contemporary social media culture and the influencers behind that part of our society. The central premise behind the plot really depicts people’s dependence, or maybe even addiction, to our devices and the need for likes or followers.
Some who are familiar with the ongoing production of the film are saying there are thematic elements that fall in line with those of the Saw horror flicks. Characters in this plot seem to be in situations where they’ll sacrifice themselves — in a Saw-like fashion — just to gain more likes or views on their social media accounts. In fact, this production is written and directed by someone who’s familiar with the Saw franchise, Josh Stolberg, who wrote the 2017 horror movie Jigsaw and 2021’s Spiral: From the Book of Saw.
And the cast of this upcoming movie will also feature some familiar faces that we’ve seen on plenty of small and big screens. Just where have we seen all the players involved in this new plot before?
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson
Mega-popular rapper, actor, and producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson recently joined the cast, for which he’s also attached as a producer. At this point, it’s not clear what role his character will play, much like the rest of the cast. We all know 50 Cent rose to fame at first with his 2003 rap album Get Rich or Die Tryin’ and his 2005 semi-autobiographical movie of the same title.
From there, 50 Cent would quickly become an award-winning rap artist and venture further into acting with roles in Home of the Brave, Righteous Kill, All Things Fall Apart, and Den of Thieves. His musical activities would stay consistent while he would focus more on acting, becoming even more of a well-respected talent in front of the camera when he played Kanan Stark during the series run of Power from 2014 to 2020. Speaking of which, 50 Cent just reprised his role as Kanan in the Power spin-off, Power Book II: Ghost, which is heading into its third season. Overall, his production company, G-Unit Film & Television Inc., has been behind the camera, co-producing all of the tv series in the Power franchise. Just before joining Skill House’s cast, he wrapped up his role in Expendables 4, which is currently in post-production.
Neal McDonough
American actor Neal McDonough leads the cast of this upcoming horror satire. Acting since the early-1990s, McDonough has appeared in various movies and television shows, starting with roles in China Beach and Quantum Leap, followed by side roles in Angels in the Outfield and Star Trek: First Contact, during the mid-nineties. He was even the co-lead voice actor as Bruce Banner in the 1996-97 Marvel animated series, The Incredible Hulk, for its only season on TV. In 2002, he had a notable supporting role in the science-fiction action film, Minority Report.
Over the last 20 years, McDonough has also appeared in popular TV programs like Band of Brothers, Desperate Housewives, Yellowstone, and Suits, also with recurring appearances as “Damien Darhk” in the DC Comics Arrowverse shows such as Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow. He’s also done more film work with roles in Flags of Our Fathers, 88 Minutes, and Sonic the Hedgehog. However, his most remembered role over the last several years is likely as “Timothy ‘Dum Dum’ Dugan” in various Marvel Cinematic Universe productions. Earlier in 2022, McDonough reprised his role as Damien Darhk in an episode of The Flash’s final season.
Caitlin Carmichael
Actress Caitlin Carmichael has been acting since 2008, first taking small roles in TV shows like Criminal Minds, True Blood, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. She also started her film career in indie titles such as Backlight, Conception, and Forgetting the Girl. Over the years, Carmichael has focused more on working in television shows than in movies, with film roles being mainly in more indie and direct-to-video productions. On TV, she would appear in Dexter, CSI: Miami, Criminal Minds, and even voice work on the popular children’s animated program, Doc McStuffins. And Carmichael’s more recent work on television has come in Young Sheldon and The Good Doctor. However, she had a pretty good run going for five seasons as Gretta in the fantasy series Dwight in Shining Armor, which just wrapped up its fifth and final season in 2021. In addition to currently shooting Skill House, she’s also shooting scenes for a crime thriller called, Roadkill.
Leah Pipes
A veteran actress for just over 20 years now, Pipes’ first gig was a guest role in the hit vampire drama Angel, in 2001. Then came a stint with the regular cast of a short-lived sitcom called Lost at Home, followed by appearances in Drake & Josh, Malcolm in the Middle, and Bones, before finally breaking into movies. Since 2006, Pipes has been in only nine feature-length movies, many of them indie horror flicks such as Fingerprints, Sorority Row, and Exploited, before joining the cast of Skill House. Sticking to television in between her film roles, she was a main cast member in Life Is Wild, and guest roles in Ghost Whisperer and Glee before a great run as Camille O’Connell on The Originals from 2013 to 2018. She most recently had a recurring role in the CW reboot of Charmed and a guest appearance in the hit Fox action-drama 9-1-1.
John DeLuca
Acting since 2019, John DeLuca first got the ball rolling with small appearances in 30 Rock, Ugly Betty, and Wizards of Waverly Place, before adding movie roles to his repertoire in 2012. He would take two small movie roles before gaining some moderate success in 2013, in the Disney Channel TV movie Teen Beach Movie and its sequel, Teen Beach 2, two years later. He would only make small appearances in seven more films, mainly indies or shorts leading up to his current work in Skill House. Meanwhile, DeLuca would continue with television work with recurring roles in Twisted, the popular ABC soap opera General Hospital, and East Los High. He would also make a few more small appearances in How to Get Away with Murder and American Horror Story: 1984. Just before his current work with the cast of Skill House, DeLuca starred in a 2022 short comedy film called, The Bacheliar.
Paige VanZant
VanZant is more known for her performances inside of the ring, as an MMA fighter and professional wrestler. She’s won more fights than she’s lost, trying her hand, literally, at UFC fighting and bare-knuckle boxing with a pro record of eight wins and five losses. In 2016, VanZant would get some non-fighting TV exposure by competing during the 22nd season of Dancing with the Stars. VanZant got as far as a second-place finish by the end of the competition. She then stuck with some more television outside the ring with another reality TV competition, this time, on Food Network’s Chopped, winning her particular episode. VanZant’s appearance in Skill House is her feature-film debut.
Hannah Stocking
Stocking originally got famous for her reach on social media, mainly on YouTube and TikTok, which is likely a big reason why she’s a part of Skill House‘s cast. She first came on the scene in 2016 with a whole slew of short-length comedy videos, co-starring with other internet personalities just like herself. Stocking also made appearances in music videos for G-easy, Blink-182, and Justin Bieber. She was eventually able to parlay her social media popularity into acting roles in movies like Tyler Perry’s Boo 2! A Madea Halloween, Satanic Panic, and Vanquish. Earlier in 2022, she had a guest role in the popular Nickelodeon sitcom, iCarly.
McCarrie McCausland
Also in this movie’s cast is McCarrie McCausland, a young veteran of mainly television work. However, he first got started with a couple of small appearances in two indie film projects before catching on as a recurring character in the hit Lifetime Network drama, Army Wives, during the show’s final three seasons. McCausland would piggyback from that role, right into another recurring spot in the popular fantasy drama The Originals, crossing paths with his Skill House co-star, Leah Pipes. From there, the flow of several more indie projects and small TV roles would continue until he caught on again in 2016 with yet another recurring role in the short-lived NBC crime drama, Game of Silence. Shortly before joining the production of Skill House, McCausland made notable TV appearances, earlier this year, in The Rookie and also in All Rise.
Ivan Leung
Leung has been performing since 2014, starting out with small roles in several short-run TV series and even shorter films, before his first big-name production, when he appeared in an episode of the popular soap opera, General Hospital. Over time, he would continue to build his talent resume with more small appearances in Criminal Minds, All American, and Superstore, including an appearance in the 2018 crime drama Superfly. During the last three years, more appearances in TV shows like Good Girls, The Conners, and Grey’s Anatomy would come, as well as a side role as “Jimmy” in 2021’s The Tender Bar. Leung recently completed a guest role in a 2022 episode of The Goldbergs, before starting work on Skill House.
Emily Mei (Emily Ghoul)
Current social media personality, Emily Mei, will appear in this production, like some of her co-stars, thanks to her internet popularity in the real world. She’s only been on the scene since 2020, but has enjoyed consistent work as a host of Venn Arcade Live and The Download. She also made an appearance on the game shows Dare Package and Guest House, as well as two stints in the popular gaming program, Locked In. Skill House will be the first feature-film role of her young but ongoing career.