Hulu has set another title in its increasing slate of original films. The spooky season may officially be over, but there is still plenty of horror features to come. Dust, a psychological horror-thriller from directors Karrie Crouse and Will Joines, is coming soon to the streamer.

Set in 1930s Oklahoma, the storyline revolves around a sinister presence lurking in a dust storm and threatening a family. Co-director and writer Karrie Crouse developed the project at the Writer’s Lab of Sundance Institute. Crouse is best known for her work as a writer on HBO’s Westworld and for frequent collaborations with co-director Will Joines, who is bringing the project to life with her. Alex Madigan of Mad Dog Films is set to produce alongside Lucas Joaquin of Secret Engine. The film was virtually unveiled at Cannes in 2020 before being acquired by Searchlight Pictures later that year. Hulu will distribute the title as a Hulu Original Film.

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With that, let’s look at everything else we know about Hulu’s Dust. What can we expect to see from the plot? Who has been lined up in the cast? When and where will the film be released? And what else should audiences know about Hulu’s Dust?

Dust: The Plot

     Pixabay

While specific details are still light, we have a basic outline telling us what to expect. It reads:

History buffs should recall that Oklahoma was one of the worst-hit areas during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Supernatural forces aside, the Dust Bowl caused very real suffering for countless people, nearly destroying much of the Midwest’s crops and agriculture. While there are likely few people left alive today who remember that time, it was a period of true horror for everyone who experienced it.

“Trapped by increasingly horrific dust storms in 1930s Oklahoma, a young mother haunted by the past in Dust becomes convinced that a mysterious presence is threatening her family and takes extraordinary measures to protect them.”

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Take that real experience and tack on a supernatural presence, and you have a truly unsettling horror show. The atmosphere of a dust storm already lends itself quite well to the horror genre. It often blocks out the sun, creating unnatural darkness, and the thickness of the dust can hide whatever might be lurking inside. Fans of Stephen King’s The Mist will recall the potential for hiding sinister creatures in mysterious natural cloud-esque phenomena. Only this time, the weather event is real.

It sounds as though Dust will balance the real-life terror of dust storms with whatever evil force might be lurking inside them. The film will need to establish a balance so that one horror element shouldn’t dominate the other. If the primary focus is meant to be on whatever lurks in the dust, then that should be established as the primary antagonistic force. If too much attention is paid to the dust storms, the film could risk feeling too much like a historical piece, only telling a story on the Dust Bowl itself. That could work in another case, as there is strong potential for a film based solely on the Dust Bowl. However, if Dust is marketed as a supernatural piece, sufficient attention should be paid to the supernatural.

Additional plot information will likely follow as production on Dust continues.

Dust: The Cast

     20th Television

When the project was first announced in 2020, The Crown star Claire Foy was attached in the lead role. Sometime before production began, Foy dropped out, and Sarah Paulson joined as the lead. Paulson is no stranger to the horror game, having appeared as different characters in nine of the eleven seasons of FX’s American Horror Story.

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Annaleigh Ashford, who was most recently seen in FX’s American Crime Story and the CBS comedy B Positive, has joined in a leading role alongside Paulson. Also starring in Dust is Ebon Moss-Bachrach of The Bear and The Punisher. Bill Heck, known for roles in TV series such as Locke & Key, The Leftovers, and The Old Man, will be appearing as well. Finally, young actor Amiah Miller, known for 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes, has a role.

With these stars have been confirmed to appear, we don’t yet know their characters or storylines within the film. We can reasonably expect confirmation of their roles, as well as additional casting announcements, in the coming weeks and months as more production information is revealed.

Release Date

Currently, there is no release date attached to Dust. Principal photography began in August 2022 in New Mexico. Given the typical turnaround time from pre- to post-production, Dust could be ready for a release sometime next year. If it is ready by next October, Hulu could market the picture for the Halloween season.