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Mikey Madison has been picky about her post-Oscar projects, but she may be adding a new commitment to her highly sought-after calendar. The Anora actor is currently in talks to topline Charlie Polinger’s The Masque Of The Red Death, a “wildly revisionist” adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s short story of the same name, per Variety.
Sydney Sweeney was previously slated to lead the A24 film, but reportedly dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. (The actor has a lot on her plate right now, so it’s honestly surprising this didn’t happen sooner.)
While we don’t yet know what kind of liberties Polinger will take with the story, Poe’s original 1842 publication centers on a masquerade ball thrown by a prince for a group of nobles hiding out from a deadly plague known as the Red Death. In the end, it still arrives as an unwanted party guest.
Madison’s career seems to be taking a surreal and supernatural turn after her Oscar-winning performance in Sean Baker’s Anora. She’s also booked for Alejandro Landes Echavarría’s Reptilia, a thriller that “tells the story of a dental hygienist who is seduced by a mysterious mermaid into the dark and wet underworld of Florida’s exotic animal trade,” per its logline. She’ll star opposite Kirsten Dunst. Before signing on for Reptilia, Madison reportedly turned down a part in Shawn Levy’s untitled Star Wars film. It’s nice to see a rising star be so discerning about her roles, but no one (well, except maybe Sydney Sweeney) can escape the Red Death.
