Five years after bidding farewell to the character of Jon Snow, Kit Harington is poised to embrace another wild transformation in the eagerly awaited monster movie The Beast Within.
The narrative unfurls around 10-year-old Willow (Caoilinn Springall), who begins to question her family’s secluded existence in a heavily fortified compound nestled deep within the enigmatic English wilderness.
When Willow decides to secretly trail her parents on one of their mysterious nocturnal forays into the heart of the ancient forest, she stumbles upon a chilling sight: her father (Harington) undergoing a dreadful transformation. This revelation unravels a sinister ancestral secret that her family has desperately tried to conceal.
The exclusive trailer teases that Harington’s character might be transforming into a werewolf. His long claws, fangs, and yellow, canine-like eyes, combined with repeated shots of a full moon, strongly suggest a lycanthropic theme.
The trailer also shows his wife, played by Ashleigh Cummings, fastening a dog collar around his neck as he crouches naked in a cage, hinting at his monthly metamorphosis.
Harington’s character, whether werewolf or some other mythical beast, seems to embrace his wild side, often seen draped in wolf-like fur robes after his violent escapades. His wife even meticulously cleans the bloodstains from these furs.
In one scene, Harington, clad in fur, bears a striking resemblance to his former Game of Thrones character, even declaring himself “King of the woods” and naming his daughter a princess.
The trailer also reveals that young Willow may be suffering from the same curse, shown peeling off her own fingernails and growing fangs. This ominous development suggests that the family’s dark secret is poised to affect her as well.
Directed by documentary filmmaker Alexander J. Farrell in his narrative feature debut, The Beast Within will premiere at this summer’s Fantasia International Film Festival before hitting theaters on July 26.