Reston’s June Schreiner stars in new horror film

by Ellyn Wexler, staff writer

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Reston actress Julie Schreiner stars in a horror film set in West Virginia that premiered September 4. Images courtesy of Julie Schreiner

Reston native June Schreiner, profiled in these pages last year for her starring role in “When I’m Ready,” is back on the screen in “Dark Hollow,” a horror movie set in a West Virginia coal-mining community.

Released Sept. 4, “Dark Hollow” stars Schreiner as KC Scarbro, a young mother fiercely devoted to her family, community and the land around her. When a nightmarish creature emerges from a coal mine, KC must confront the threat.

Schreiner got her start in acting with the Reston Community Players at age 10 and went on to perform with Synetic Theater, Arena Stage and other area theaters before pursuing film and television. She said she was drawn to “Dark Hollow” by writer-director Daniel Beyers’ script and his commitment to bringing humanity to the people and region where he grew up.

“I was so inspired by the conviction of KC and the humanity that Daniel Beyers, our writer/director, wanted to bring to the people and the area he grew up in, West Virginia,” Schreiner said.

Set in the early 2000s, the story explores the environmental and human toll of coal mining in Appalachia. Schreiner said she was particularly interested in a horror story that uses its frightening elements to explore a larger issue.

“I think a horror movie that isn't blood and guts for the sake of blood and guts, but is horrifying to serve the metaphor it is exploring is really exciting,” she said.

Filming took the cast and crew into West Virginia’s mountains and 11 miles into coal mines, with shoots often running from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. Schreiner called it a wild and challenging experience but said it was important to persevere.

The project also carries deep personal significance for Schreiner. Her mother, actress Dana Andersen Schreiner, died in 2023 during production. After filming in West Virginia, June spent a week with her mother in Reston before heading back to New York to resume filming.

“It is so weird for me to watch the movie and see myself before and after this incredible, life-changing shock,” Schreiner said. “Films are amazing like that—like little time capsules of your life.”

Schreiner attended the Los Angeles premiere Sept. 4 at the Lumiere in Beverly Hills and participated in a post-screening Q&A.

“Dark Hollow” is available on Apple TV and Amazon.