Posted in: A24, Movies | Tagged: a24, Mikey Madison, the masque of red death
The writer and director of the upcoming A24 film The Masque of Red Death offers an update on the film’s tone and production window.
Published Mon, 12 Jan 2026 09:18:06 -0600 by Aedan Juvet
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Article Summary
- Mikey Madison stars in A24’s revisionist, darkly comedic take on The Masque of the Red Death
- Director Charlie Polinger reveals the film will shoot in Budapest starting February 2026
- Madison plays twin sisters in a medieval castle during a plague, exploring class tension and chaos
- Expect a high-energy blend of gothic horror, identity games, and satirical edge in this bold reimagining
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Mikey Madison’s next leading role is already shaping up to be a big swing. After early breakout turns in FX’s Better Things and the 2022 Scream revival, plus her recent wave of acclaim for Sean Baker’s Anora, the actor is now headed into full gothic mode with an A24 feature inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death. The new film, written and directed by Charlie Polinger, is currently described as a wildly revisionist, darkly comedic take on Poe’s plague story, and will be Madison’s next major project following her impressive (and viral) awards season run.
Now, Polinger is offering a small update about the movie’s tone and production plans, revealing that he is already overseas getting ready to roll cameras with Madison in the lead.
Hollywood CA USA – November 12, 2024: Mikey Madison attends The Critics Choice Association’s 3rd Annual Celebration of AAPI Cinema and TV. Editorial credit: Michael Mattes / Shutterstock.com
The Masque of the Red Death Director Talks Tone
He explained, “I’m actually currently in Budapest right now, doing pre-production scouts for it, which is shooting here in February. I don’t know if I can say too much about it, but it’s with A24, and yes, Mikey Madison is starring in it. It’s a very high-energy dark comedy, also about a plague in a way, but it’s extremely different. It’s set in medieval times and takes place in a castle for the most part. It explores some similar group dynamics. But it’s just a very different genre, and it’s more comedic.”
While major plot details are being kept quiet for now, The Hollywood Reporter says that Madison will play twin sisters in a story that sees a mad prince take in the noble class into his castle while a plague devastates the peasantry. Apparently, the story also sees a long-lost twin, hidden among the lower class, enter the castle and into a world of orgies, opium, power schemes, revenge, and decapitations. If that’s the case, the setup keeps the class tension and sickness imagery that made Poe’s 1842 short story a staple of Gothic horror, while giving Polinger’s reimagining room to play with identity games and heightened chaos.
The film will also mark Polinger’s follow-up to his debut film, The Plague, his 2025 festival-backed psychological thriller about boys at a water polo camp. And between A24 and Picturestart producing, the project fits neatly into the studio’s current slate of genre titles that push into bold, sometimes abrasive territory, while offering Madison another showy lead in a stylized world after Anora’s breakout.
The Masque of the Red Death is set to begin filming in Budapest in February 2026, with a release date still to be announced.
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