French actress Léa Seydoux has joined the cast of A24's "The Masque of the Red Death", a reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe's story. She will star alongside Mikey Madison, with filmmaker Charlie Polinger directing the project.
Julia Hammer and Erik Feig are producing the film for Picturestart, joined by James Presson and Lucy McKendrick. A24 is handling worldwide distribution.
The project is described as a wildly revisionist and darkly comedic adaptation. Sources indicate that Madison will portray twin sisters in a narrative where a prince houses the noble class in his castle while a plague impacts the peasantry. The plot involves a long-lost twin, from the lower class, entering the castle into a world characterized by orgies, opium, power schemes, revenge, and decapitations. Seydoux is set to play a scheming lady-in-waiting.
Production for "The Masque of the Red Death" is scheduled to commence in Hungary in February.
Seydoux's notable filmography includes roles in "Inglourious Basterds", "Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol", "Spectre", and "Dune: Part Two". Her upcoming projects include "The Unknown" by Arthur Harari, Marie Kreutzer's "Gentle Monster", and the Zellner Bros.' "Alpha Gang".