At its best, cinema is the alchemy of storytelling, myth, and mood. And when a studio like A24, a brand synonymous with indie daring and sensorial bravura, turns its gaze toward the gothic, the results are uniquely unforgettable. From the unsettling interiority of Hereditary to the haunting lyricism of The Witch, their films evoke atmospheres, provoke interpretations, and linger in cultural conversation long after the credits roll.

In that context, it feels almost inevitable that Edgar Allan Poe, the unrivaled master of gothic terror and psychological dread, would provide fertile ground for A24’s cinematic imagination. And now, under A24’s banner, one of Poe’s most chilling visions, The Masque of the Red Death, is being reimagined for the contemporary screen. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Léa Seydoux has signed on to star in Charlie Polinger’s adaptation of The Masque of the Red Death for A24, a “wildly revisionist” take on Edgar Allan Poe’s 1842 short story. In the film, Seydoux will play a scheming lady-in-waiting, adding further star power and dramatic intrigue to the ensemble.

Mikey Madison, on the other hand, is set to portray twin sisters, a narrative expansion on Poe’s original premise that promises layered character dynamics and thematic complexity. 

Talks of Madison’s involvement, who is also starring in The Social Reckoning, first circulated in June 2025, and the project is now confirmed to be distributed worldwide by A24, with executive producing duties held by Polinger himself. Production is scheduled to begin in Hungary starting in February, as per The Hollywood Reporter. 

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Just as The Pale Blue Eye (2022) brought Poe’s eerie sensibilities into a Netflix adaptation with gothic finesse, A24’s The Masque of the Red Death could become a contemporary benchmark in atmospheric horror rooted in literary legacy.

In Charlie Polinger’s adaptation, sources suggest that the narrative will expand significantly on Edgar Allan Poe’s skeletal framework. Poe first published The Masque of the Red Death, originally titled The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy in Graham’s Magazine in 1842, later revising it in 1845 under its familiar title. The terse, allegorical narrative unfolds in a fictional land devastated by a lethal plague known as the Red Death, which kills swiftly and gruesomely.

Prince Prospero, confident in his privilege, secludes himself with a thousand nobles in an abbey to wait out the contagion. After months of revelry and seclusion, he hosts an extravagant masked ball in a sequence of seven color-themed chambers.

In extending Poe’s haunting vision into a fully realized cinematic world, A24’s The Masque of the Red Death promises to be both an homage to gothic tradition and a bold creative statement in its own right.

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Share your thoughts on this upcoming adaptation and how you think Poe’s macabre genius will translate to the screen.