Picture: Amazon / Getty Images
Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s adaptation of The Boy in the Iron Box is deep into post-production, after filming wrapped in January 2026. David Prior is the director and writer of the project, which stars Rupert Friend, Kevin Durand, and Jaeden Martell. A release date has yet to be confirmed, but we’re expecting 2027. Here’s everything we know about The Boy in the Iron Box on Netflix.
We reported in May 2025 that Netflix had optioned Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s six-part serialized horror novella, but it was unclear at the time whether this would lead to a series or a movie. We’ve had confirmation for some time now that the adaptation will be a movie.
Guillermo del Toro already has an impressive track record with Netflix, thanks to projects such as his Academy Award-winning adaptation of Pinocchio, animated franchise Tales of Arcadia, the limited horror series Cabinet of Curiosities, and the upcoming feature film Frankenstein.
Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan have collaborated on multiple projects in the past, which included The Hollow Ones and The Strain trilogy, the latter of which was adapted into a popular series on FX. The six short stories that make up The Boy in the Iron Box are a collection of novellas: “Falling Down,” “The Pit and the Box,” “The Hunted,” “Risen,” “Siege,” and “Encounter.”
It has been confirmed that Guillermo del Toro’s Necropia Entertainment will produce the project with GDT listed as a producer alongside J. Miles Dale.
David Prior is behind the adaptation’s script and will serve as director. The American filmmaker and screenwriter is best known as the director of The Empty Man (2020), released by 20th Century Fox. For Netflix, he worked as one of the directors on David Fincher’s experimental anthology series Voir (2021). Furthermore, he directed an episode (“The Autopsy”) of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, released in 2022.
Denise Chamian and Robin D. Cook serve as casting directors on the project.
What is the plot of The Boy in the Iron Box?
The synopsis we have for the film is as follows:
“Flying dark, a plane carrying a team of mercenaries crash-lands on a remote snowy summit. When they come across a maze-like stone fortress, it’s no refuge from the wolves and the freezing wind. It’s more like a trap. What they discover can stop the heart—or worse. As terror takes a new shape, the real battle for survival begins.”
Who are the cast members of The Boy in the Iron Box?
The first cast members announced for The Boy in the Iron Box were Rupert Friend, Kevin Durand, and Jaeden Martell.
Rupert Friend previously starred in Netflix’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar anthology and in the short The Swan. The actor is best known for his roles in British period dramas, including Pride & Prejudice as Mr. Wickham and The Young Victoria as Prince Albert. He previously starred as Agent 47 in Hitman: Agent 47 and most recently as Martin Krebs in Jurassic World: Rebirth. Friend will star as Liev, the leader of the Russian Special Forces crew.
Picture (L to R): Rupert Friend in Young Victoria, Jurassic World: Rebirth, and Hitman: Agent 47
Kevin Durand previously starred in Netflix’s Locke & Key and voiced Chakalau in My Dad the Bounty Hunter. The actor’s most recent roles have included the reboot of The Naked Gun, Ready or Not 2, Abigail, and, most notably, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes as Proximus Caesar.
Picture (L to R): Kevin Durand in Locke & Key, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and The Naked Gun
Jaeden Martell will star as “The Boy” in the film. He previously starred in Netflix’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Mr. Harrigan’s Phone and in the musical comedy Metal Lords. He is most well-known for his roles as Jacob Thrombey in Knives Out and as Young Bill Denbrough in the It films.
Picture (L to R): Jaedan Martell in Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, It, and Knives Out
The rest of the cast has been confirmed as:
- Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson (Masters of the Universe).
- Aksel Hennie (Max Manus: Man of War).
- Arnas Fedaravicius (Deadly Code).
- Julia Kostov (The White Lotus).
- Chris Petrovski (Madam Secretary).
- Eugene Prokofiev (NCIS: Origins).
- Mark MacRae (It: Welcome to Derry).
- Jarred Bronstein (SurrealEstate).
- Olga Korsak (The Petrichor).
- Alex Kostura as Grisha.
What is the production status of The Boy in the Iron Box?
Filming for The Boy in the Iron Box began at Cinespace Studios in Toronto, Canada, on October 20, 2025, and ended after a few months on January 13, 2026.
As of this update, the film has been in post-production for 5 months.
When will The Boy in the Iron Box be released on Netflix?
There is no official release date for The Boy in the Iron Box, and the film was not listed for Netflix’s 2026 film slate. Given that filming ended at the start of 2026, the film may be released on Netflix before the end of 2026, but a 2027 release is more realistic.
Are you looking forward to watching The Boy in the Iron Box on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below.
