Record-breaking James Bond star joins Oscar-winning Anora actor in retelling of classic horror tale

by

In January 2025, Deadline announced that director Charlie Polinger would be writing and directing a movie based on Edgar Allan Poe’s story, “The Masque of the Red Death,” with A24 producing.

Léa Seydoux, known for her role as Madeleine Swann in the James Bond films Spectre and No Time to Die, has officially joined the cast, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

This French actor made history in the James Bond films by being the first romantic lead to appear in a major role across multiple movies in the series.

Sydney Sweeney was initially set to star in the film, but she left the project in June 2025. She was replaced by Mikey Madison, who won the Best Actress Oscar in 2025 for her role in the critically acclaimed film Anora. The film went on to win a total of five Academy Awards.

Léa Seydoux is known for her roles in several acclaimed films, including a standout performance as Charlotte LaPadite in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, and appearances in The Grand Budapest Hotel, Dune: Part Two, and The Lobster. Jenna Madison has also collaborated with Tarantino, with a small part in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and she appeared in the 2022 film Scream.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Madison is reportedly going to play twin sisters in the new horror movie. Léa Seydoux will play a manipulative and ambitious lady-in-waiting who is determined to climb the social ladder.

Want to see this content?

We can’t display this content because of a security measure called reCAPTCHA. To see it, please sign out of your Contentpass account.

With Madison having won numerous awards for Anora, and Seydoux already recognized for her performances in films like Blue is the Warmest Colour and The Beast, this highly anticipated horror film boasts a strong foundation of acting talent.

Details about the plot of The Masque of the Red Death are currently being kept secret. However, the original story centers around a terrifying disease – the Red Death – and the extreme measures people take to try and escape it.

This story has been adapted before, most famously as the 1964 film directed by Roger Corman and starring Vincent Price. That version is likely what many people remember.

Authors

Alex Hewitt

Read More

2026-01-21 15:35