Dennis Haysbert, Ashley Greene Join Indie Horror 'Deify' as Chicago Production Adds Seven to Cast
Dennis Haysbert, Ashley Greene and Kirk Acevedo are among seven new principal cast members joining the indie psychological horror film Deify, now shooting in Chicago, according to Deadline.
Brother filmmakers Carmelo and Nicholas Chimera are directing the film from a script Nicholas Chimera wrote. The story follows a cult leader, played by Skeet Ulrich, whose devoted followers are burned alive. He pleads insanity at trial, claiming to take his commands directly from God. The screenplay draws in part on the 1993 standoff between the Branch Davidians and federal agents in Waco, Texas.
Neal McDonough, already announced, plays the assistant attorney general prosecuting the case — a man of integrity who believes in the criminal justice system. Haysbert takes the bench as the judge presiding over the trial. Ashley Greene, best known for the Twilight saga, plays a court-appointed psychologist and cult deprogrammer evaluating Ulrich's character. Kirk Acevedo, of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, portrays the "Butcher of Galesburg," a real-life figure convicted in 1986 for the murder and dismemberment of his wife.
The remaining new principals are Casey Hartnett, whose credits include Terrifier 2; Anji White, seen in Ironheart; and Nicholas Chimera himself, stepping in front of the camera in addition to directing. Producer Mike Manning, who has appeared onscreen in This Is Us, also joins the cast. An earlier casting announcement from 2022 listed Zach Villa, Devon Graye, Madeline Zima and Paget Brewster among the ensemble, per Deadline. Additional cast includes Cliff Chamberlain, Brian Glanney, Jessie Nerud, Garrett Andrew Ahrens, Jason Potter, Danny Bohnen, Scotty Bohnen, Drea Berg, Ricardo Gamboa and Ritchie Ramone.
Chimera Studios and J2 Productions LLC are producing, in association with Mannifest Productions. Producers are Jordan Gianneschi, Jacob Rice and Manning, with Neal McDonough and his wife Ruvé McDonough serving as executive producers. Casting was handled by Steven Tylor O'Connor and Becca McCracken.
What makes Deify stand out is its blend of courtroom drama and horror, anchoring genre material in a real-world event that still reverberates. The Waco siege, a 51-day standoff that ended with more than 70 deaths, gives the film a historical reference point that few psychological horror projects can claim. For audiences, the cast's familiar faces — from network drama to franchise blockbusters to indie horror — suggest the Chimera brothers are assembling a project designed to reach well beyond the usual genre niche.
