This summer, Cleopatra Venom, an independent genre-based film production and distribution company, is releasing director Daniel J. Pico’s supernatural horror film, The Withering. The movie stars Amelia Mahrie as Haley Sumner and Gareth Tidball as Lana Faraday. Haley and Lana have an uneasy relationship that grows increasingly adversarial as a wave of unexplained maladies and peculiar deaths spreads throughout the small town.

‘The Withering’ (2026) Release Date

The release date for Cleopatra Entertainment’s The Withering is Tuesday, July 28, 2026. It will only be available as a digital video (no theatrical release), which means you can watch it on release day in your own home. The Withering is a suspenseful supernatural horror film with solid acting and unsettling special effects. It has a 123-minute runtime and stars Amelia Mahrie, Gareth Tidball, Debra Onsager, and David Bianchi. Daniel J. Pico directed the story that he wrote with Wil Loper.

‘The Withering’ (2026) Spoiler-Free Horror Synopsis

The Withering opens with the unearthing of a peculiar, pulsating artifact before abruptly cutting to Haley Sumner (Amelia Mahrie), a young caregiver, securing the wheelchair of her aging client, Judith Faraday (Debra Onsager). The two are on a dock overlooking a wide, picturesque river. While Haley is preoccupied with a phone call, Judith unlocks her wheelchair and rolls it to the end of the dock. Haley saves her client, but Judith isn’t happy.

Judith’s deteriorating health frequently makes her depressed and emotionally distraught. Since Haley is always willing to go above and beyond for the people she cares for, she takes Judith to an estate sale of an explorer who discovered an Egyptian tomb filled with treasure. Begrudgingly, Judith agrees to go. While looking around the house, Judith finds a curious box hiding a captivating artifact. She smiles and seems to form a psychic bond with the piece. Unfortunately, it is not for sale.

Over the next few days, people in the town grow weak, sick, and some just die inexplicably. Meanwhile, Judith is making a remarkable recovery and looking younger and younger every day. When Judith goes missing and Lana Faraday (Gareth Tidball), a strange young woman claiming to be closely related to Judith, shows up inside her home, Haley starts to piece the clues together. As more and more people in the community meet gruesome fates, Haley races to solve the mystery. If she can’t figure out what’s happening soon, no one will be left… including her.

An Interview with Gareth Tidball, Star of ‘The Withering’ (2026)

The Withering would not be the remarkable study of vanity and desperation it is without the sublime acting skills of Gareth Tidball. Her sideways glance coupled with a sly smile are at once devastatingly provocative and deeply unsettling. She taps into her astounding range without effort, creating a genuinely engaging and thoroughly engrossing performance. Entertaining Options had a chance to ask Gareth about landing the role of Lana, her approach to acting, her connection to music, and more. 

How did you land the role of Lana?
Dan Pico (director of The Withering) wears an impressively wide array of hats in the film industry. A few years ago, he was brought on to edit another indie feature I had acted in. We initially connected on social media whilst that film was in post-production and continued to keep up with each other’s careers online. Then last year, Dan reached out and said he had me in mind for a role. I sent him a screen test for Lana, and the rest is history! The craziest thing is that the day I arrived on set in Wisconsin was the first time Dan and I ever met in person! He put a lot of faith in me prior to even meeting me, for which I feel very honored.

Your character is remarkably layered. There’s a shadow that lurks just beneath her surface. Is that enticing darkness part of who you are, or is it all Lana?
I’ve had a curiosity in all things Gothic and macabre since I was young. I was absolutely one of those middle schoolers who loved Tim Burton movies and shopped at Hot Topic back in the early 2000s. I even thought about training to be a mortician at one point! Besides horror, I love sci-fi and crime stories — especially those with a cerebral edge. And I’m a mega fan of celebrating Halloween — indulging in the thrill of scaring others and being scared. It’s a very unique, cathartic sort of feeling to share in that adrenaline rush. I find the psychology behind why people like scary movies and thrills like that really fascinating. 

Besides having such a wide range, you also possess an incredible sense of timing. The rhythm of when you deliver your lines is flawless. Does that come from a musical background?
That’s a really interesting question! I’m not formally trained as a musician, but I learned to play the drums and sing, primarily through osmosis. My late grandfather and my dad are both jazz musicians, so growing up I was surrounded by jazz. Not only did I listen to the music, but I’d get to sit around the table with the band members after gigs, listening to them passionately discuss the fundamentals of jazz: listening and improvising. Reflecting now, I really strive to put those two elements at the center of my craft. There’s a free-flowing spontaneity that can result, regardless of discipline — music, painting, acting, dance, etc. — if an artist can willingly mold their piece on the spot based on outside influences. Maybe that comes across externally as a good sense of timing.

Did you talk with Debra Onsager about character continuity? There are so many nuances of Judith that you nail. For instance, your accent is masterful!
Debbie and I had a great Zoom session with Dan prior to filming, where we discussed Judith/Lana’s arc and explored how we can connect our portrayals. I immediately noticed Debbie’s natural Midwest accent and thought that could be an immediate ‘in.’ I didn’t grow up in the Midwest, so I’m relieved to hear that my attempt was convincing!

Did you create your own backstory for Judith?
[After the Zoom session], I did a lot of thinking on Judith’s toxic marriage to her husband Tate — not just the physical abuse she endured over the years, but the psychological control he must have had on her as well. She wasn’t allowed any freedom to develop a career or a social life. I thought of ways in which Judith’s difficult ‘past life’ could still inform Lana’s new one. As Lana, she gets to exercise her free will for the very first time. Lana makes her debut at the wine walk in an eye-catching red dress because Tate would never let her wear red or go out alone. Then, when she confronts Tate later in the film, all those memories come flooding back. She becomes terrified of him all over again — until she realizes she’s the one in control.

Was there a trigger or something that helped you immediately slide into Lana before the director called “Action!”?
Often, I create a mantra for each character I play; something short and simple that I can repeat in my head to help ground me before a take. Lana’s mantra was, ‘‘I deserve this.’ It helped convince my brain that Lana’s words and actions were fully justified without retreating too deeply into backstory.

Is there a behind-the-scenes moment you will never forget?
Jumping into a lake at 4 in the morning on my last day of filming. All of us had reached the deliriously giddy point of tiredness. I love the group photo we took after we wrapped that night.

Is there a role you’d love to play but haven’t had a chance to yet?
I’d really like to explore more non-traditional avenues of performance, such as mocap [motion capture] and voiceover (provided AI won’t completely ruin the industry!) I think I’d love to play a monster or some kind of creature in a video game. Anything that will really challenge my vocal and physical abilities. There aren’t enough female monsters out there, in my opinion!

What is the secret to being so authentic on screen?
Play some jazz, man! Listen, stay loose, and improvise. I love this quote from the great saxophone player Charlie Parker: “You’ve got to learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And then, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail.”

Why will people love this movie?
The Withering pays homage to many classic Stephen King themes whilst still managing to hold its own as a fully original story. There are some subtle Easter eggs throughout the film that dedicated horror fans will really appreciate! Amelia Mahrie is wonderful as Haley amongst a great ensemble cast of characters, who bring personality and color to the “small-town gone wrong” vibe of the film. And it’s surprisingly funny!

Where can fans see you next?
Coming up, I play the leading lady in a British horror film called Grin. It’s an epic monster movie from Fowler Media, the studio behind The Jack in the Box trilogy. It should be out later this year, and I’m really proud of it. 

Or, if you want to catch me in something out now, I have a cameo in the Netflix action film Havoc. I play a meth head who swears and spits at Tom Hardy (Venom, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises)— no big deal!

What is the best way for people to support you and this film?
Watch, rate, review, and share when the film is out on July 28th! Getting those views up, especially in the first week of release, is vital for exposure and buzz. We’re on IMDb and Letterboxd. As an independent grassroots production, we really appreciate any and all types of support.

Gareth Tidball: Website • IMDb
The Withering: Instagram • Facebook • IMDb • Letterboxd

‘The Withering’ (2026) Review: Should I Watch?

Yes, you definitely should watch this movie! Especially if you are a fan of eerie vibes, wicked intentions, and gruesome practical effects. The Withering is a wonderfully dark and well-written film that explores the terror and desperation you feel when approaching the inescapable conclusion to life. It asks, “How far would you go to keep on living when your time is up?” While a trio of talented women drive the plot, a vibrant ensemble of gifted actors adds a colorful backdrop to this intense story. If H.P. Lovecraft had written The Substance using the folks in Fargo as inspiration, and Stephen King sprinkled in a few Easter eggs, it would look a heck of a lot like The Withering.

All stills courtesy of Cleopatra Venom.
Headshots courtesy of Gareth Tidball.