Wednesday Star Evie Templeton Sinks Her Teeth Into Victorian Psycho

If you pay attention to buzzy genre projects, you probably heard whispers last year about Margaret Qualley re-teaming with Sanctuary director Zachary Wigon for a new psychological horror called Victorian Psycho. The whole thing was supposed to kick off filming about six months back, with Qualley practicing her British accent and all. But, in the classic pre-shoot scramble that happens in Hollywood more often than anyone admits, Qualley bailed out just days before cameras were ready to roll. No drama—at least, none that spilled out in public—but it did leave Wigon scrambling for a new lead.

Jump ahead a couple of months: Maika Monroe, who just creeped everyone out in Longlegs, signs on as the film’s main star. Now there's a fresh casting update: Evie Templeton, who you might've just seen in Return to Silent Hill or Wednesday season 2, is officially joining the cast.

So, what is Victorian Psycho?

Production for this one actually kicked off in Ireland about eight months ago—not exactly a lightning-fast schedule, which probably says a lot about what went down behind the scenes. Wigon is directing from a script by Virginia Feito (if you read Mrs. March, that’s her), adapting her own novel.

Here's what they're working with:

• Set way back in 1858, the story’s all about Winifred Notty (that’s Monroe's role), an oddball governess who shows up at this gloomy, remote gothic mansion called Ensor House.
• Officially, her job is to teach the kids table manners and school them on their family history, but—as the title hints—Winifred is a lot more disturbed than anyone expects.
• People working at the estate start vanishing, and it’s not subtle. The family begins suspecting something’s pretty off with their new employee.

The rest of the cast

Once Qualley left, most of the rest of the casting actually stayed on. Thomasin McKenzie (from Last Night in Soho and Old) is playing a nursemaid who befriends the weird new governess, so that dynamic could get interesting. On top of that, you've got Ruth Wilson (The Affair), Jacobi Jupe (Hamnet), and Jason Isaacs (yep, Lucius Malfoy himself) all filling out the cast.

As for Templeton, she’s playing Miss Drusilla Pounds, described as 'the picture of a young lady-in-the-making, but inwardly, she carries an intensity and darkness beyond her years.' Which honestly sounds like exactly what you’d expect from a gothic horror set in a creaky old mansion in Victorian England.

Who’s producing this thing?

Behind the curtain, the film is being handled by Dan Kagan’s Traffic. banner, along with the director himself and Sebastien Raybaud (from Anton—if you watch indie releases, you’ve probably seen their name pop up a lot). Funding’s coming from Anton, too. Anonymous Content is involved on the exec producer side, with Nick Shumaker and Bard Dorros steering that ship, and Feito pitching in too. Bleecker Street (they love prestige adult thrillers) has picked up the U.S. distribution rights and are prepping for a nationwide roll-out by the end of 2026. So, yes, there’s a while to wait.

'In 1858, a young, eccentric governess named Winifred Notty arrives at the remote gothic manor known as Ensor House. Winifred’s responsibilities include teaching the children table manners and educating them about their family’s history, all whilst hiding her psychopathic tendencies. As Winifred assimilates into life at Ensor House, staff members begin to inexplicably disappear, and the owners of the estate begin to wonder if there is something amiss about their new governess.'

There you go: a high-concept period thriller with some serious casting switch-ups, a director who clearly likes his psychological horror, and a production timeline that sounds like it could have been a reality show on its own. If you’re following Evie Templeton’s career or just hungry for gothic thrillers that aren’t recycled Rebecca knock-offs, this one might be worth keeping an eye on—provided nothing else goes haywire before release.