A new trailer has unveiled the terror of The Rule of Jenny Pen. The upcoming movie was directed by Coming Home in the Dark‘s James Ashcroft, who co-wrote the screenplay with playwright Eli Kent, and follows Judge Stefan Mortensen (Geoffrey Rush), who is sent to a retirement home after a stroke and has his recovery complicated by Dave Crealy (John Lithgow), a fellow retiree who torments those around him with a creepy baby doll puppet named Jenny Pen. The 2025 horror movie is set to debut in theaters on March 7 after premiering at Fantastic Fest in September 2024.

IFC Films has now shared a new teaser trailer for The Rule of Jenny Pen. The trailer largely focuses on Lithgow’s character and Jenny Pen, who is meant to be used to help treat dementia. However, despite his gentle exterior, Dave reveals that he has a torrent of energy flowing beneath the surface, and he applies it to mischief and violent mayhem more than anything else. The remainder of the trailer teases grim fates for many of the residents as various accolades and quotes from glowing reviews are splashed across the screen. See the trailer below:

What This Means For The Rule Of Jenny Pen

John Lithgow Dominates The Screen

Although Pirates of the Caribbean and Finding Nemo star Geoffrey Rush is presumably another major draw for the movie, it makes sense that the Rule of Jenny Pen trailer focuses primarily on John Lithgow and his puppet. For one thing, Lithgow dominates the screen, imbuing his character with the energy required both to give weight to the threat that he poses to those around him and to imbue him with an almost inhuman uncanniness.

The Rule of Jenny Pen also sees John Lithgow delivering what promises to be another iconic villain performance. The actor has played quite a few villains over the years, including the тιтle character in Brian De Palma’s 1992 thriller Raising Cain and the controlling small-town minister in 1984’s Footloose. However, he is still better known for playing more wholesome or sweet characters in projects like the sitcom Third Rock from the Sun, a juxtaposition that helps makes his villainous roles – including Dave Crealy in The Rule of Jenny Pen and the Trinity Killer in Dexter – feel that much more unsettling.

Our Take On The Rule Of Jenny Pen Trailer

The Horror Movie Has A Lot Of Promise

On top of highlighting John Lithgow’s performance, the trailer for The Rule of Jenny Pen offers insight into what a splash the new horror movie could make by showcasing the strong reactions that it has already garnered. This includes a glowing recommendation from iconic horror author Stephen King, who calls it “one of the best movies I’ve seen this year.” If the movie lives up to the expectations set by the trailer, it could very well be an early contender for being considered one of the genre’s top entries in 2025.

Source: IFC Films