Mikey Madison Replacing Sydney Sweeney Masque of the Red Death

Mikey Madison has set one of her first roles since winning the Oscar for her performance in Neon’s Anora.

Madison is in talks to star in The Masque of the Red Death, a re-imagining of the creepy Edgar Allan Poe story from filmmaker Charlie Polinger. It hails from A24, which will distribute worldwide, and Picturestart, which is producing.

Madison has developed a reputation of being very particular in choosing her roles, and despite numerous outreaches, has not engaged in much since her comet-like ascendance after Anora premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024. (There are two exceptions. She was in brief talks to play a villain in Star Wars movie Starfighter, but those talks broke down over pay. She also attached herself to the package Reptilia, about a dental hygienist who falls in love with a mermaid.)

Now, Madison may have found a role that could be a worthy follow-up and one that has a serious start of production date. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Madison would 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. The story sees a long-lost twin, hidden among the lower class, enter the castle and into a decadent world of orgies, opium, power schemes, revenge and decapitations.

The project has been described as a quintessential A24 movie, one that likely will include eye-brow raising, meme-able scenes that should resonate among the TikTok class.

Madison replaces another It Girl in Red Death. Sydney Sweeney was previously on board to star but dropped out due to scheduling. Sweeney has a packed schedule this year and is currently shooting Euphoria and is due to star in Legendary’s adaptation of Japanese media property Gundam in the fall.

Red Death is due to shoot at the end of this year or early next year, according to sources.

Madison received numerous accolades for her Anora work, earning multiple nominations and ultimately wins courtesy of the BAFTA Awards and the Academy Awards. Anora won five Oscars, best picture among them. Madison also memorably appeared in Scream (2022) and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

She is repped by UTA, Authentic Talent and Sloane Offer.