The Duffer Brothers’ new horror series Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen arrived on Netflix on March 26, 2026, and viewers are doing double takes at two key actors in the cast. The eight-episode atmospheric horror follows Rachel (Camila Morrone) and Nicky (Adam DiMarco) in the days leading up to their wedding, which takes a terrifying turn when Rachel discovers a family curse.
Two actors playing characters named Victoria—Jennifer Jason Leigh as mother-in-law Victoria Cunningham and Victoria Pedretti as Rachel’s mother Alexandra—have caught viewers’ attention for their extensive horror and thriller backgrounds.
Jennifer Jason Leigh Has Been in Horror and Thrillers for Decades
Jennifer Jason Leigh, 64, brings decades of genre experience to her role as Victoria Cunningham, the mysterious mother of the groom. Horror fans recognize her instantly from her career that spans nearly 50 years.
Leigh’s most famous horror role came in 1992’s Single White Female, where she played Hedra “Hedy” Carlson, an obsessive roommate who tries to steal her friend’s identity. The thriller became a cultural touchstone and remains one of her most recognized performances.
Her genre credits include The Hitcher (1986) , The Machinist (2004) with Christian Bale, and The Hateful Eight (2015) , where she played the captured prisoner Daisy Domergue. More recently, she appeared in Annihilation (2018) and played Lorraine Lyon in the Fargo television series.
For Netflix subscribers, Leigh is also familiar from Atypical, where she played Elsa Gardner, the devoted mother of an autistic teenager, across four seasons. She has three upcoming projects: a crime thriller called Bishop, the drama Deep Cuts, and New England Toys.
Victoria Pedretti Appears in Episode Four
Victoria Pedretti appears in the fourth episode titled “The Witness,” playing Alexandra “Ali” Harkin, Rachel’s mother who died on her wedding day. Her casting was kept quiet before the show’s release—she was not announced as part of the main cast, and the role is not listed on her IMDb profile.
Pedretti’s brief but memorable scene shows the 1997 wedding day of Ali and Jay (Logan Miller). After the ceremony, Ali begins bleeding from her nose and eyes before collapsing, forcing Jay to perform an emergency procedure to save their unborn daughter Rachel. The scene reveals the origins of the family curse that drives the series’ second half.
Horror fans know Pedretti best from The Haunting of Hill House (2018) , where she played Eleanor “Nell” Crain, and The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020) , where she portrayed Dani Clayton. Both Netflix series from Mike Flanagan cemented her status as a modern scream queen.
She also played Love Quinn in seasons two through four of You, the obsessive wife of Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley). That role introduced her to a broader audience beyond horror enthusiasts.
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Both Actresses Attended the Los Angeles Premiere
Pedretti attended the Los Angeles premiere of Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, which gave fans a clue about her involvement before the show’s release. Leigh was also present at the event, walking the red carpet alongside the cast.
The series was created by Haley Z. Boston (Brand New Cherry Flavor) and executive produced by Matt and Ross Duffer (Stranger Things). It is the first of three series from the Duffer Brothers’ Upside Down Pictures production company.
All eight episodes of Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen are now streaming on Netflix for viewers in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, India, and globally.
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