In the horror film Daniel Isn’t Real, Miles Robbins plays a troubled college freshman named Luke whose childhood friend, Daniel, returns in the adult, and unnerving, form of Patrick Schwarzenegger. The movie is directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer (the 2015 slasher film Some Kind of Hate) who co-wrote the screenplay with Brian DeLeeuw.
Mortimer tells EW he had an “intense” time casting the film.
“Daniel himself had to be such an incredibly handsome and charismatic young man, who is also sinister and [the actor] had to pull off all the secrets and mysteries that are revealed about the character. Patrick was forged in the fires of incredible genetics, and has a personal confidence, and a technical awareness of the camera, that allowed him to be free and weird and sexy.
“When I met with Miles Robbins,” Mortimer continues, “I had seen and loved him in Blockers, where he was hilarious and warm and crackling with life — something that was super important to me for this character. He brought to our meeting so many great ideas about the themes of modern masculinity and had such a deep understanding of what this movie is all about. He then proceeded to audition for both characters and completely smash it. He is an empathy machine, the moment you see him on-screen you are in love with him.”
Daniel Isn’t Real costars Sasha Lane, Hanna Marks, and Mary Stuart Masterson. The movie was produced by SpectreVision, the Elijah Wood co-founded company which brought us last year’s unforgettable, Nicolas Cage-starring Mandy.
Daniel Isn’t Real will be released later in the year. Watch the film’s new teaser trailer above.
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