Our friend Alex Noyer, director of Sound of Violence and the upcoming Love is a Monster, has announced that he recently wrapped production on a new film, a drama ("with a thriller feel", Noyer told us in an email) called These Little Ones Perish. Noyer directed a screenplay written by Patrick Hamilton, adapted from their own stageplay by the same name.
The gripping story begins after a young altar boy's tragic death by suicide in a local church. Father Frye (Colin Bates) discovers the body, only to face resistance from the church hierarchy, the local police and the surrounding community. His investigation is driven by the grief and distrust of the boy’s older sister, Siobhan (Ella Kennedy Davis), as well as the church’s apparent urgency to bury the truth. Together, Frye and Siobhan—united by their shared loss but divided by Frye’s unwavering loyalty to the institution—uncover dark secrets buried within the church. As they dig deeper, Frye’s faith and career are put to the test, especially as his superior, the bishop, and his former mentor, the Monsignor, will do whatever it takes to stop the truth from surfacing.
The cast is led by Colin Bates (Queer) and Ella Kennedy Davis who is making their feature film debut. They are joined by fine character actors the likes of Tony Plana and Zach Grenier.
Deadline made the official announcement yesterday. Admittedly, this came as a bit of a surprise to us as we were all caught up in the tragic news that Noyer and his family were one of the more than 100,000 families, among a handful of folks we call friends as well, displaced by the Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year.
Genco Pictures and You Know Films are proud to announce the completion of principal photography for their new film, These Little Ones Perish, a drama directed by Alex Noyer (Sound of Violence, Love is the Monster). The film is based on the play These Little Ones Perish by Patrick Hamilton, which was optioned by Laurence Gendron (Genco Pictures) in 2022. Hamilton also penned the adaptation for the screen.The gripping story begins after a young altar boy's tragic death by suicide in a local church. Father Frye (Colin Bates) discovers the body, only to face resistance from the church hierarchy, the local police and the surrounding community. His investigation is driven by the grief and distrust of the boy’s older sister, Siobhan (Ella Kennedy Davis), as well as the church’s apparent urgency to bury the truth. Together, Frye and Siobhan—united by their shared loss but divided by Frye’s unwavering loyalty to the institution—uncover dark secrets buried within the church. As they dig deeper, Frye’s faith and career are put to the test, especially as his superior, the bishop, and his former mentor, the Monsignor, will do whatever it takes to stop the truth from surfacing.The film stars Colin Bates (Queer, HBO's Task) as Father Frye and Ella Kennedy Davis (The Girl from Plainville, Your Friends and Neighbors) as Siobhan Castleman. The supporting cast includes Kenneth Tigar (The Avengers), Zach Grenier (The Good Wife), Tony Plana (Ugly Betty), Lindsay Mendez (Merrily We Roll Along), Sebastian Conelli (Anora), and Ben Doherty (HBO’s Task).“I’m thrilled to shift gears and explore a drama after two genre films I’ve truly enjoyed making,” said director Alex Noyer. “Working with the incredibly talented Colin Bates and the extraordinary Ella Kennedy Davis, along with the rest of our fantastic cast, has been a deeply rewarding experience. Furthermore, I am extremely grateful to my DP Daniel Brothers and our top-notch crew, who made this shoot unforgettable. After losing my home in the Palisades fires, diving into this project with the unwavering support of my family, friends and crew has been both healing and fulfilling.”Laurence Gendron, producer, added: “This is my second collaboration with Alex Noyer, and I couldn’t be more excited to work with such a talented, meticulous, and visionary director. Alex’s focus on performance allows every actor to shine, and his distinctive visual style makes These Little Ones Perish a captivating cinematic experience. Our writer Patrick Hamilton has a unique ability to treat difficult subject matters with tact and elegance, which makes this film extremely relevant and important.”The film is produced by Laurence Gendron (The Last Video Store, A Wounded Fawn), Alex Noyer (Sound of Violence, 808), and Pierre Gendron (10 ½, Jesus of Montreal). Co-produced by Nathan Marcus (Adam the First, Fior Di Latte), and cinematography by Daniel Brothers (Miller’sGirl, Damned If You Do).Bates is repped by Innovative. Davis is repped by Paradigm. Noyer is repped by Steven Katleman of Katleman Media Law. Brothers is repped by Lauren Zak at Innovative Artists.
Photo credits: Alex Noyer photo by Ruby Bell, Ella Kennedy Davis photo by Jeffrey Mosier and Colin Bates photo by Helene Pambrun