Nicholas Galitzine is in final negotiations to play Ichabod Crane opposite Sydney Sweeney in Hollow, Sony Pictures’ reimagining of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, according to Deadline. Sony declined to comment.
The Masters of the Universe actor would follow Johnny Depp, who played Crane in Tim Burton’s 1999 film, and Tom Mison, who starred as the character for four seasons on Fox’s Sleepy Hollow. All three actors cut a different figure from the gawky schoolmaster in Disney’s 1949 animated adaptation.
Ichabod Crane in Disney’s 1949 short The Legend of Sleepy Hollow – Disney+
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That said, Galitzine may not be the main draw, as this time the story follows Katrina Van Tassel, played by Sweeney.
Hollow Tells the Story From Katrina’s Perspective
Filmmaker Lindsey Anderson Beer will write and direct Hollow, adapting her own debut novel. Earlier reports pointed to a fall 2027 publication window, but The Book Company’s listing now puts the G.P. Putnam’s Sons hardcover on sale June 22, 2027. Sony has yet to announce a release date for the film.
In Irving’s tale, Ichabod is a schoolmaster whose interest in Katrina puts him in competition with Brom. Beer puts Katrina at the center of a supernatural mystery and a love triangle, blending Gothic horror with elements of an erotic thriller.
Sydney Sweeney performs in The Housemaid – Lionsgate
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Changing the point of view also changes how audiences meet Ichabod. Irving lets readers follow the schoolmaster as his imagination gets the better of him. In Hollow, readers may spend more time wondering what Katrina makes of him and whether she’s right to trust him. The novel’s release should give readers a clearer idea of how much of Irving’s awkward schoolmaster survives in Beer’s retelling.
Sydney Sweeney Will Also Produce the Film
Hollow is the first film Sweeney will produce through Honey Trap, the company she launched in June with a first-look deal at Sony Pictures. Kaylee McGregor, Sweeney’s longtime collaborator, serves as president of production and development. Sony picked up Hollow in July, with Beer producing through her Lab Brew banner and LuckyChap also on board.
Sweeney had already worked with Sony as both the star and an executive producer of the 2023 romantic comedy Anyone But You. Her producing work also extends to Lionsgate’s upcoming The Housemaid’s Secret.
Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man in the Masters of the Universe trailer – YouTube @AmazonMGMStudio
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Beer brings an unusual degree of continuity to the adaptation. She’ll take Katrina’s story from the page to the screen herself, with a hand in the novel, the screenplay, and the finished film. She also comes to the project with directing experience and a background in horror, having written and directed Pet Sematary: Bloodlines.
From The Housemaid to Hollow
Hollow follows a run of big-screen adaptations of popular novels centered on women, including Colleen Hoover’s It Ends with Us and Verity. Sweeney was part of that wave last year with The Housemaid, a psychological thriller based on Freida McFadden’s bestselling 2022 novel.
With Hollow, Sweeney is getting involved before readers have had a chance to discover the book. They’ll meet Beer’s version of Katrina in June, and if Galitzine closes his deal, his performance will help determine how familiar Ichabod feels in a story now told through her eyes.
What do you think of Nicholas Galitzine as Ichabod Crane? Are you interested in seeing Sleepy Hollow through Katrina’s eyes? Sound off and let us know!
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