From Summer Bay to Southport: Home & Away Stars Step Into the Shadows with Jennifer Love Hewitt

It’s lights out in Summer Bay — and lights flickering in haunted hallways as a trio of former Home & Away stars swap beachside drama for bone-chilling horror. In an unexpected twist of fate, Sophie Dillman, Matt Evans, and Sam Frost have landed lead roles alongside horror icon Jennifer Love Hewitt in the upcoming supernatural thriller The Southport Haunting.

Set against the bleak, wind-beaten coast of Southport, England, this atmospheric new film trades sunshine and surf for fog, fear, and the deeply unsettling. It’s a leap into the unknown for these Aussie actors, but early buzz suggests they’re not just surviving — they’re thriving.

A Haunting in Southport

The film follows Claire Winters (Hewitt), a single mother grappling with a devastating loss, who inherits a long-abandoned seaside inn from a relative she never knew. Hoping for a fresh start, she arrives in the gloomy town of Southport — only to find herself at the center of a decades-old mystery, surrounded by whispers of madness, murder, and malevolent spirits.

Enter the Home & Away crew in new, haunting roles:

• Sophie Dillman plays Emily Raine, a reclusive local historian whose deep ties to Southport’s tragic past hide a dangerous secret.

• Matt Evans portrays Caleb Mercer, a handyman with a violent history and a chilling connection to the inn.

• Sam Frost transforms into Lucy, a ghostly presence whose sorrow is only matched by her rage.

Directed by indie horror talent Lena Maxwell, The Southport Haunting promises a mix of slow-burn psychological dread and supernatural terror, with a deeply emotional core. It’s the kind of elevated horror that’s drawn comparisons to Hereditary, The Others, and The Babadook.

From Soaps to Screams

For fans familiar with the actors’ work on Home & Away, the transformation is nothing short of startling. Known for playing Ziggy, Theo, and Jasmine respectively, Dillman, Evans, and Frost earned fanbases through heartfelt drama and romantic entanglements — not séances, shadow figures, and spiritual possession.

“Moving from soap to horror wasn’t just a genre shift — it was a mindset shift,” said Dillman. “You have to dig into a very real sense of fear and isolation. Emily isn’t just scared of ghosts — she’s scared of herself.”

Evans agreed. “The tone is totally different. On Home & Away, we were reacting to relationship drama. Here, you’re reacting to the unknown — things that defy logic. It’s emotionally exhausting, but incredibly rewarding.”

The Queen of Screams Returns

Jennifer Love Hewitt’s return to horror has fans buzzing. Nearly 30 years after I Know What You Did Last Summer, she steps back into the genre that helped define her career — this time as a mother haunted by grief and guilt as much as ghosts.

“I was drawn to the rawness of Claire’s character,” Hewitt said in a recent interview. “This isn’t just about jump scares. It’s about emotional trauma, about a woman slowly unraveling — and realizing that some things won’t stay buried.”

She had high praise for her Aussie co-stars. “They brought a level of intensity that was honestly shocking. They didn’t come in like they had something to prove — they came in like pros.”

Building the Buzz

While still under wraps, The Southport Haunting is already generating serious industry heat. Insiders say it’s been quietly submitted to major film festivals, with a likely premiere at Toronto or Venice. Word is, early screenings left viewers shaken — and critics impressed by the performances and tone.

Lena Maxwell, the film’s director, is being hailed as a breakout voice in horror. “This story is about legacy,” she explained. “About pain passed down through generations. I didn’t want to make another haunted house movie — I wanted to make a haunted people movie. And the cast? They gave everything.”

From Summer Bay to Global Stage

This film could mark a new chapter for the Home & Away actors, following in the footsteps of Chris Hemsworth and Samara Weaving — stars who also began their careers on Aussie soaps before making it big internationally.

“With horror, there’s nowhere to hide,” said Frost. “You’re exposed. You’re vulnerable. I’ve never screamed so much in my life — or been so proud of a project.”

If The Southport Haunting lands as expected, don’t be surprised if this eerie tale gets the franchise treatment — and if Summer Bay alumni become the next faces of elevated horror.

---

Would you like this version adapted into a press release, tabloid feature, or styled for a film magazine like Empire?

It’s lights out in Summer Bay — and lights flickering in haunted hallways as a trio of former Home & Away stars swap beachside drama for bone-chilling horror. In an unexpected twist of fate, Sophie Dillman, Matt Evans, and Sam Frost have landed lead roles alongside horror icon Jennifer Love Hewitt in the upcoming supernatural…