UPDATE: This project just got even more interesting. Léa Seydoux has joined “The Masque of the Red Death.” The role she will play is that of “a scheming lady-in-waiting who is conniving her way to the top."
Seydoux has a handful of projects going into production this year, including Arnaud Depleschin’s “The Thing That Hurts,” and Leos Carax’s untitled next film. She’s also wrapped shooting The Zellner Brothers’ “Alpha Gang,” Arthur Harari’s “The Unknown,” and Marie Kreutzer’s “Gentle Monster.”
Seydoux, 40, broke out with the Palme d’Or winning “Blue is the Warmest Color,” and has gone on to build an impressive filmography, partnering with such directors as David Cronenberg, Wes Anderson, Denis Villeneuve, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Bertrand Bonello.
EARLIER: Charlie Polinger impressed many, myself included, with his Cannes-debut feature “The Plague,” a visually audacious and thematically unflinching descent into the psychological torture of being a bullied teenager.
Polinger has now lined up his next film, teaming up with A24 for “The Masque of the Red Death,” a modern, twisted take on the Edgar Allan Poe tale—and he’s brought along a newly minted Oscar starlet.
After the breakout that was “Anora,” Mikey Madison is finally making moves. The Oscar winner recently wrapped Aaron Sorkin’s “The Social Reckoning” and will lead Polinger’s film.
The filmmaker tells GoldDerby that he’s in prep mode on the film, which is supposed to start shooting in February. He is giving us more details about what to expect:
I'm actually currently in Budapest right now, doing pre-production scouts for it, which is shooting here in February. I don't know if I can say too much about it, but it's with A24 and yes, Mikey Madison is starring in it. It's a very high-energy dark comedy, also about a plague in a way, but it's extremely different. It's set in medieval times and takes place in a castle for the most part. It explores some similar group dynamics. But it's just a very different genre and it's more comedic.
Madison, who’s quickly developed a reputation for being ultra-selective post-“Anora,” has largely kept a low profile despite a surge of offers. Outside of a brief flirtation with Shawn Levy’s “Starfighter,” a Star Wars spin-off, and an attachment to the buzzy indie package “Reptilia.” Sorkin’s and Polinger’s films will be her post-Oscar vehicles—and who knows, maybe both will come out next year.
“Red Death” would have Madison playing dual roles—twin sisters separated by class in a decaying aristocracy. The story, set against the backdrop of a plague and a hedonistic prince’s castle, is said to include everything from “revenge-fueled drama” to “opium-soaked orgies.”
In the meantime, seek out Polinger’s “The Plague,” which is supposed to go wider this Friday. It’s currently playing in select New York and Los Angeles theaters.