A24 and Picturestart’s upcoming adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death may have found its lead. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mikey Madison (Anora, Scream) is in negotiations to star in dual roles for the twisted reimagining of Poe’s iconic tale.

Sydney Sweeney (Immaculate) was previously attached but exited the project due to scheduling conflicts.

Described as a “wildly revisionist and darkly comedic” interpretation, the film will be written and directed by Charlie Polinger (Fuck Me, Richard). Madison is set to portray twin sisters in a decadent, plague-ravaged world where a deranged prince shelters the noble class inside his lavish castle. Unbeknownst to him, a long-lost twin—hidden among the diseased lower class—enters the palace, setting off a nightmarish spiral of orgies, opium, power plays, revenge, and decapitations.

The Masque of the Red Death is being pitched as a quintessential A24 film—stylized, provocative, and tailor-made for viral moments, with THR noting its potential appeal to the “TikTok class.”

Originally published in 1842, Poe’s short story has remained a gothic staple, previously adapted in 1964 by Roger Corman, with Vincent Price starring in the lead role.

Madison, whose star continues to rise, was also recently attached to the upcoming thriller Reptilia, which follows a dental hygienist seduced by a mermaid into Florida’s bizarre exotic animal underworld.

Production on The Masque of the Red Death is expected to begin later this year or early 2025. Stay tuned for casting updates and a first look at A24’s latest plunge into stylish horror.