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Upcoming independent film “Hyde” is in post-production and expected to be released later this year, according to local writer and director Matthew Winstead.
“Hyde” is a modern retelling Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novella, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” The 1886 gothic horror story explored the duality of human nature, of good vs. evil. Winstead learned in 2012 the story was in the public domain, and he started thinking about what that might look like today. He has taken the concept and given it a modern twist. He said he wanted to tell a different story on the same structure.
“Instead of a scientist taking a potion, what if it’s a very successful lawyer who is also a family man, but then tragedy strikes and he begins to spiral into darkness and drug addiction,” Winstead said. “The drugs transform him into a hideous monster from the inside out.”
Winstead finished the script and started work on the project several times, but it never came to fruition until now.
“I’ve always been a big movie lover,” he said. Movies spoke to him; he loved the storytelling. “They were a release, an escape.”
At one point he had more than 1,500 movies in his collection (now digital). So, it made sense that writing movies became his hobby and something he loves to do. “I have so many scripts. It’s easier for me to create dialog in my head (than to write a book); it just flows.”
Winstead grew up on the Eastern Shore and spent a lot of his childhood with his grandparents in Ridgely. He also lived in Strasburg, Va., for eight years. He moved back to the Shore in 2021 and reconnected with an old friend, David Draper Jr. They had taken theater and writing classes together while students at Easton High School.
Draper asked if Winstead had ever thought about making a movie; Winstead showed Draper some of his scripts. When Draper read “Hyde,” he said it was the one they should make.
Draper stars as the title character, Edward Hyde, and is credited as producer.
For other characters and extras, they put out a casting call through Facebook. They were surprised at how many people showed up, people who wanted to help bring Winstead’s vision to life.
“Avra Sullivan of Preston, co-founder of the Shore Shakespeare group, had the whole script memorized the first day,” Winstead said. Sullivan plays Sarah Hyde, Edward’s wife.
Holly Justice of Ridgely, owner of GlamHer and Co. Beauty and Body Bar, quickly earned an expanded role as Detective Johanna Utterson.
Two local kids were cast: Conner Parker as Dylan Hyde, and Jonathan Paul Yttesen as Jack.
The story was initially much darker, but with kids involved, Winstead said he found himself revising the script again, taking out some curse words and changing one scene completely. He was pleased with the revision, saying the changes helped broaden audience appeal.
“As more people got involved, I thought this is going to be a big deal,” he said. “This turned out to be a more monstrous project than I realized.”
Shooting started in February 2024 and wrapped up in December 2024.
Winstead’s brother Mitch filled the roles of camera man, music composer, editor, and was generally the driving force behind the scenes, he said.
Winstead makes a brief appearance in the film, and his brothers have non-speaking cameos, but the movie is especially important to him and his family because his late grandfather, Mallory B. Winstead, is in it.
His grandfather was always willing to help with his projects, Winstead said, and he appears as a priest in a funeral scene shot in Ridgely Cemetery last May. Originally the plan was just to play a music montage for the clip, so no dialog was written for it. He told his grandfather just to read from the Bible so they could capture the image of him speaking, but his grandfather created and delivered a fake eulogy for the character being buried.
After Mallory B. Winstead’s unexpected death in September 2024, filming stopped for about three weeks. When they got back to work on the movie, Winstead decided he wanted to include part of the eulogy in tribute.
Viewers will have the opportunity to spot local friends and places when the film debuts. Winstead said they shot several scenes in Ridgely and Queen Anne. They also shot in Preston, Easton, St. Michaels, and Salisbury here on the Shore. Both the opening and final scenes were shot in Virginia.
“I love taking pieces of places and making a fictional place, a fictional town,” Winstead said.
While Winstead said he has made a bunch of amateur, camcorder movies with friends, “Hyde” is his first professional film.
Trivia on the movie Facebook page notes the opening credit sequence for “Hyde” pays homage to two of Winstead’s favorite movies, “The Shining” and “Beetlejuice.” He said he was influenced by the thrillers of the 1990s. Other favorites include “Pacific Heights,” “Silence of the Lambs,” “The Good Son,” and the original “Halloween.”
As Studio 29 Films, Winstead said he has invested $6,000 to $7,000 into the movie, “and we’re not done yet.”
By mid-April editing was complete and work had started on sound design and effects.
“The audio really only collected dialog,” Winstead explained. They have to record and splice every little sound -- the creak of a couch cushion, the sound of a glass being placed on a table -- to add depth. But that process goes much faster than the film editing, he said. Then the movie will be sent off to be colored, a two-week process. Once the coloring is done, they’ll create and release an official trailer – most likely late summer.
Independent singer-songwriter Eric Karge of Preston will mix and master sound and audio. Karge was named Maryland Country Music Artist of the Year in 2014 and spent some time in Nashville. His music can be found on YouTube. He has mixed and mastered songs before; “Hyde” will be his first movie.
When post-production work is done, Winstead plans to hold a private screening of “Hyde” for the cast and crew. He said he is looking into Flagship Cinemas in Easton for the premiere.
For the film to reach the public, Winstead said they are considering streaming services, like Amazon Prime, Tubi, and/or Hulu. Then they want to take “Hyde” to some film festivals as well, with Ocean City, Winchester, Va., and New Jersey on the list.
“This is our movie; it’s definitely a group effort,” Winstead said. “I appreciate each and every person who came on set. I’ve had the honor of meeting a lot of talented people.”
