Léa Seydoux Boards A24’s Bold Poe Horror Reimagining

Léa Seydoux is set to join Mikey Madison in the cast of A24’s upcoming adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death, a project already stirring up plenty of curiosity. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Madison is taking on the challenge of portraying twin sisters, while Seydoux steps into the shoes of a “scheming lady-in-waiting who is conniving her way to the top.”

The film’s premise is anything but conventional.

“A mad prince takes in the noble class to his castle while a plague devastates the peasantry,”

the report notes, before adding,

“a long-lost twin, hidden among the lower class, enters the castle and into a decadent world of orgies, opium, power schemes, revenge and decapitations.”

It’s a far cry from the more restrained Gothic horror of Poe’s original 1842 tale, which followed Prince Prospero as he attempted to outwit a deadly disease by barricading himself and his fellow aristocrats inside his abbey. There, he hosted a lavish masquerade, only for a mysterious figure dressed as a plague victim to crash the festivities.

This new version, described by A24 as “wildly revisionist and darkly comedic,” promises to take the story in unexpected directions. The original has seen the big screen before, most notably in the 1964 film starring Vincent Price, but this latest incarnation seems determined to upend expectations with its blend of dark humour and horror.

Production and Creative Team

Filming is scheduled to commence next month, though there’s no word yet on when audiences can expect to see the finished product. Charlie Polinger, who made his directorial debut last year with the psychological horror The Plague, is at the helm for this outing. His previous work, featuring Joel Edgerton, suggests a taste for unsettling atmospheres and psychological tension—qualities likely to serve him well in this new venture.

Seydoux’s involvement adds further intrigue. Known for her roles in Dune: Part Two, No Time to Die, and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, she brings a certain gravitas and unpredictability to the table. Madison, meanwhile, comes fresh off an Oscar win for her performance in the 2024 comedy-drama Anora, making the pairing one to watch.

A New Take on a Classic Tale

While the bones of Poe’s story remain, this adaptation appears to be less about faithful recreation and more about reinvention. The setting—a castle teeming with the privileged, surrounded by a world in chaos—remains, but the addition of twin intrigue, decadent excess, and a sharply comic tone marks a significant departure from the source material’s sombre mood.

With production about to get underway and a cast that blends established talent with rising stars, anticipation is building. There’s no release date on the horizon just yet, but for those keen on horror with a twist, this one is shaping up to be a proper talking point.