Rex Features
A tight lid is being kept on the movie's story, written by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, though it is expected to provide a twist on a classic genre in a similar way to Goddard's Cloverfield.
Jenkins (The Visitor) and Whitford (The West Wing) will play co-workers with a connection to the titular cabin.
"It's really just your basic typecasting: When you need two actors to run through the woods in low-cut nighties, you immediately think of Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford," joked Goddard.
Whedon added: "They're the first proof that though The Cabin In The Woods is a classic horror film, it isn't one you've seen before."
The Cabin In The Woods begins shooting this spring for a February 5, 2010 release.
