Claim: Chris Hemsworth was the lead role in The Cabin in the Woods.

The Cabin in the Woods is a 2012 American horror comedy film directed by Drew Goddard in his directorial debut , produced by Joss Whedon , and written by Whedon and Goddard . The film stars Kristen Connolly , Chris Hemsworth , Anna Hutchison , Fran Kranz , Jesse Williams , Richard Jenkins , and Bradley Whitford . The plot follows a group of college students who retreat to a remote forest cabin where they fall victim to backwoods zombies and the two technicians who manipulate the ongoing events from an underground facility .   Goddard and Whedon , having worked together previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel , wrote the screenplay in three days , describing it as an attempt to `` revitalize '' the slasher film genre and as a critical satire on torture porn . The special effects , monster costumes , special makeup , and prosthetic makeup for the movie were done by veteran horror film actress Heather Langenkamp , her husband David LeRoy Anderson , and their company AFX Studio . Filming took place in Vancouver , British Columbia from March to May 2009 on an estimated budget of $ 30 million .   The film was originally slated for release on February 5 , 2010 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and United Artists , but was indefinitely shelved due to ongoing financial difficulties . In 2011 , Lionsgate picked up the distribution rights . The film premiered on March 9 , 2012 at the South by Southwest film festival in Austin , Texas and was released in the United States on April 13 , 2012 , grossing over $ 66 million worldwide .