Léa Seydoux Teams Up with Mikey Madison in ‘The Masque of the Red Death’
French actress Léa Seydoux, known for her roles in acclaimed films including Dune: Part Two, is set to star alongside Academy Award winner Mikey Madison in The Masque of the Red Death. This new project from A24 and Picturestart offers a revisionist and darkly comedic interpretation of Edgar Allan Poe’s 1842 short story of the same name.
Details regarding Seydoux’s role have not yet been disclosed. In Poe’s original narrative, Prince Prospero retreats with nobles into a fortified abbey to escape a deadly plague ravaging the land. To occupy their time, the elite host an extravagant masked ball, but an unsettling presence eventually disrupts their festivities, forcing them to face the harsh reality they attempted to avoid.
The film will be directed by Charlie Polinger, who recently made his directorial debut at Cannes with a psychological drama titled The Plague, which stands apart from this new project. Producers include Julia Hammer and Erik Feig for Picturestart, alongside James Presson and Lucy McKendrick, while Polinger will serve as an executive producer. A24 is set to distribute the film globally.
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Seydoux has built a diverse filmography, collaborating with notable directors such as Wes Anderson, Yorgos Lanthimos, David Cronenberg, Bertrand Bonello, and Mia Hansen-Løve. Most recently, she appeared in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two and in the James Bond films Spectre and No Time to Die, portraying Madeleine Swann. In 2013, she received the Palme d’Or for her performance in Blue Is the Warmest Colour, directed by Abdellatif Kechiche. Future projects for Seydoux include roles in Oscar-winning co-writer Arthur Harari’s The Unknown, Marie Kreutzer’s Gentle Monster alongside Catherine Deneuve, and the Zellner Brothers’ Alpha Gang with Cate Blanchett and Dave Bautista. Seydoux is represented by Agence Adequat and UTA.
