Deadline has reported Jackie Cruz of Netflix’s hit drama series Orange Is the New Black will replace Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) in the upcoming horror-thriller film History of Evil. The reason for the switch-up is said to be due to scheduling conflicts with Beatriz, who bowed out of the picture just before filming began in May. History of Evil is said to release on the streaming platform Shudder, with Jackie Cruz acting as co-lead for the film alongside Paul Wesley, who is most prominently known for his role as Stefan Salvatore in the supernatural series The Vampire Diaries.
AMC’s Shudder streaming platform picked up the film earlier this year. It will follow a family who is on the run from a corrupt state and takes refuge in a safe house with an insidious past. The film is written and directed by Iranian-American filmmaker Bo Mirhosseni and produced by XYZ Films, Two & Two Pictures, and Jake Seigel. Also starring alongside Wesley and Cruz are Ralph Rodriguez (White Girl), Zachary Branch (No Rest for the Wicked), Rhonda Johnson Dents (The Hate You Give), Tordy Clark (Bad Candy), and more.
Cruz is definitely a solid choice to star alongside Wesley, and the actress has a long and impressive resume to show for it. In addition to her prominent role as Marisol “Flaca” Gonzales on Orange Is the New Black, Cruz can also be seen in 2020’s Good Girls, 2021’s All the World Is Sleeping, 2021’s Midnight in the Switchgrass, and a newly announced drama film titled Cleveland. The actress is repped by APA. Wesley, though most prominently known for his role in The Vampire Diaries, can be seen in the 2018 Paramount+ series Tell Me A Story, 2007’s Fallen, and is primed to star in a 2023 Star Trek prequel titled Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
There is still no release date or further plot details for History of Evil, but more news can be expected soon, given the project just wrapped up filming. Stay tuned for further information.
