Mikey Madison in Talks to Star in Edgar Allan Poe Adaptation ‘Masque of the Red Death’ at A24

“Anora” Oscar winner Mikey Madison is successful talks to prima successful an adjustment of an Edgar Allan Poe communicative called “The Masque of nan Red Death” that is group up astatine A24, an individual pinch knowledge of nan task told IndieWire.

Charlie Polinger, a playwright who is nan head of his upcoming debut movie “The Plague,” is directing what’s described arsenic a “wildly revisionist take” connected nan Poe short story. Polinger is besides executive producing nan film alongside Lucy McKendrick.

Sydney Sweeney was primitively meant to prima successful nan film, but a root says she dropped retired of nan task owed to scheduling conflicts. The task was first reported backmost successful January, pinch A24 acquiring worldwide distribution authorities for nan film.

A24 had nary comment.

“Red Death” is simply a short primitively published successful 1842 astir nan Prince Prospero arsenic he tries to hide from a plague by hiding himself successful an abbey, but successful nan midst of a masquerade ball, a cloaked fig dressed arsenic a Red Death unfortunate is an unexpected guest. The Gothic fabrication is an allegory for nan inevitability of death, and nan caller movie from Polinger is meant to beryllium a reimagined return connected nan story.

For Madison, this would beryllium her first task post-Oscars should a woody make. “Red Death” is expected to movie astatine nan extremity of this twelvemonth aliases early adjacent year. However, Madison did subordinate a package for “Reptilia,” a caller movie that was presented to buyers astatine Cannes and would beryllium directed by Alejandro Landes Echavarría and co-star Kirsten Dunst. Madison was besides concisely successful talks to subordinate nan “Star Wars” movie “Starfighter” other Ryan Gosling, but that fell through.

Prior to winning nan Oscar for “Anora,” Madison collapsed retired connected FX’s “Better Things,” she had a insignificant but rather memorable domiciled successful Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood,” which besides starred Sweeney, and she starred successful “Scream” from 2022.

Madison is represented by UTA, Authentic Talent, and Sloane Offer. Polinger is represented by UTA and Anonymous Content.

THR first reported nan news.