EXCLUSIVE: Franz Rogowski (Passages) and Benedict Wong (Weapons) have closed deals to join Mikey Madison and Léa Seydoux in The Masque of the Red Death, DGA Award winner Charlie Polinger’s wildly revisionist and darkly comedic take on the short story of the same name by Edgar Allen Poe for A24.
Character details are being kept under wraps. Published in 1842, Poe’s story follows Prince Prospero, who retreats with a group of nobles into a fortified abbey as a deadly plague ravages the countryside. To distract themselves, the elites host an elaborate masked ball, but as the night progresses, an unsettling presence disrupts the celebration, forcing the guests to confront the reality they believed they had shut out.
Julia Hammer and Erik Feig are producing for Picturestart, alongside James Presson and Lucy McKendrick, with Polinger exec producing. A24 is set to distribute the film worldwide.
An Independent Spirit Award nominee, Rogowski is known for his work in lauded films like Andrea Arnold’s Bird, Ira Sachs’ Passages, Sebastian Meise’s Great Freedom, and Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life. Upcoming, he’ll be seen in Henry Dunham’s A24 pic Enemies, starring Jeremy Allen White and Austin Butler, as well as Jaume Collet-Serra’s Cliffhanger reboot. He is represented by CAA and B-Side Management.
Wong is coming off the Sundance premiere of Vera Miao’s diaspora-themed horror film Rock Springs and also recently put in an unforgettable turn in Zach Cregger’s horror breakout Weapons. Upcoming, he also has Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars and the second season of Netflix’s 3 Body Problem. The rare actor of his stature that is unrepresented, he only has an attorney working for him, that being Robert Wallerstein of Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum.
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