Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019 film)

Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase is a 2019 American teen mystery film directed by Katt Shea with a screenplay by Nina Fiore and John Herrera, based on the book of the same name by Carolyn Keene which was earlier adapted for a 1939 film. The film stars Sophia Lillis in the titular role of Nancy Drew, as she investigates a haunted house.

The film was released on March 15, 2019. It received moderately positive reviews from critics.

Plot
16-year-old sleuth Nancy Drew and her father Carson relocate from Chicago to rural River Heights following her mother's death. Following a number of incidents, the latest being an online prank on a jock after he humiliates one of Nancy's friends, she is sentenced to community service. Nancy soon comes to the aid of an elderly woman needing help with a supernatural presence. Nancy goes to sleepover at Flora, the elderly woman needing help along with her niece: Helen Corning, who is Nancy's arch rival. That night, strange things begin to happen, like things floating and coming to live, the cabinet doors and draws open and a shadow cloak figure appeared and warns Nancy to give up her mystery.

Cast

 * Sophia Lillis as Nancy Drew
 * Zoe Renee as George Fayne
 * Mackenzie Graham as Bess Marvin
 * Laura Slade Wiggins as Helen Corning
 * Sam Trammell as Carson Drew
 * Linda Lavin as Flora
 * Andrea Anders as Hannah Gruen
 * Jesse C. Boyd as Willie Wharton
 * Jay DeVon Johnson
 * Andrew Matthew Welch
 * Jon Briddell
 * Josh Daugherty
 * Evan Castelloe

Production
On April 20, 2018, it was reported that Sophia Lillis would star in the film adaptation of Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, which would be produced by Ellen DeGeneres, Jeff Kleeman, and Chip Diggins for Warner Bros. Pictures. In June 2018, other cast was announced which included Zoe Renee as George, Mackenzie Graham as Bess, Laura Slade Wiggins as Helen, Sam Trammell as Carson, Linda Lavin as Flora, and Andrea Anders as Hannah, along with Jay DeVon Johnson, Andrew Matthew Welch, Jon Briddell, Josh Daugherty, Evan Castelloe, and Jesse C. Boyd.

Principal photography on the film took place in June 2018 in Monroe, Georgia. On January 18, 2019, DeGeneres announced exclusively that the film would be released in theaters on March 15; she also debuted a trailer. On February 19, 2019 Warner Bros. Pictures released a short clip from the movie.

Music
The score of movie was composed by Sherri Chung. Emily Bear composed and sings the songs "More than Just a Girl" and "Daylight".

Critical response
On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 70% based on 20 reviews, with a weighted average of 5.75/10. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 55 out of 100 based on 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".