French Actress Léa Seydoux Joins A24's Edgar Allan Poe Horror Adaptation
The Dune star will appear alongside Mikey Madison in A24's twisted take on The Masque of the Red Death, promising dark comedy and wild revisionism of Poe's classic tale.
French actress Léa Seydoux has signed on to star in A24's upcoming horror film based on Edgar Allan Poe's The Masque of the Red Death. She'll join Mikey Madison in what the studio calls a darkly comic and wildly revisionist adaptation of the 1842 Gothic short story.
Madison will portray twin sisters in the film, while Seydoux takes on the role of a manipulative lady-in-waiting who schemes her way toward power. The plot centers on a deranged prince who shelters the wealthy elite in his castle while plague destroys the common people outside.
A Twisted Take on Classic Horror
The story follows a long-lost twin from the lower classes who infiltrates the castle and enters a corrupt world filled with orgies, opium addiction, political manipulation, revenge plots, and beheadings. This version strays far from Poe's original tale, which focused on Prince Prospero's attempt to escape disease by hiding in his abbey with other nobles.
In Poe's story, the prince hosts a masquerade ball but receives an unwelcome visitor: a mysterious figure dressed as a plague victim. The tale was previously brought to screen in 1964 with Vincent Price in the lead role.
Production Details and Cast
Filming begins next month under the direction of Charlie Polinger, who made his directorial debut with the psychological horror film The Plague starring Joel Edgerton. The project currently has no announced release date.
Seydoux brings impressive credentials to the production, having appeared in major blockbusters including Dune: Part Two, No Time to Die, and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. Madison recently won an Oscar for her performance in the 2024 comedy-drama Anora.