Sydney Sweeneyis in talks to star in a new dark comedy from A24, which will be a perfect fit after two of the rising star’s most recent theatrical successes.Deadlinerecently reportedthat A24 and Picturestart would be collaborating on arevisionist take onThe Masque of the Red Death, the famous Edgar Allan Poe short story that features a prince that attempts to quarantine himself from a rampant plague, only to find himself face-to-face with it. With discussions still in the early stages, there is no information as to what Sweeney’s role would be in the film.
The Masque of the Red Deathhas been adapted a number of times into film, with the most famous version coming in 1964 from iconic director/producer Roger Corman and starring horror master Vincent Price. A24’s version has been described as “wildly revisionist” in the sense that it will have a darkly comedic spin on what is traditionally a Gothic horror tale. With that being the case,Sydney Sweeney actually seems like the perfect fitfor a starring role, given two of her most recent performances, both of which are among the best of her young career.
Every Sydney Sweeney Horror Movie, Ranked (Including Immaculate)
Sydney Sweeney is quickly becoming a star in Hollywood for a range of performances, but one genre that she has appeared in frequently is horror.
Sydney Sweeney Recently Nailed Both Horror And Comedy
Two Of Her Highest-Rated Movies Were Recent Genre Films
Sydney Sweeney has evolved into one of the most well-respected young actresses in Hollywood, with multiple Primetime Emmy nominations along with two People’s Choice Award nominations.She has officially arrived as a movie star after years impressing in television, and two of her most recent projects make A24’sThe Masque of the Red Deatha perfect fit for her. In 2023, she starred alongside Glenn Powell in the surprisehit romantic comedyAnyone But You, which was a box office smash thanks largely to the charisma and chemistry of its stars.
2023
94%
67%
100%
Anyone But You
54%
87%
2024
11%
55%
71%
58%
59%
N/A
In 2024,Sweeney made a splash in horror withImmaculate, the religious horror movie that featured her as an aspiring nun forced into pregnancy by the elders of an Italian convent. Sweeney’s performance was singled out as a reason whyImmaculatereceived mostly positive reviews. While it was not the first horror/thriller movie she had been a part of,Immaculateis considered by many to be her finest performance in the genre. With recent demonstrations of her prowess in both horror and comedy, Sweeney is a perfect fit for a darkly comedic spin onThe Masque of the Red Death.
The Masque Of The Red Death Is Ripe For An Update
Poe’s Classic Short Story Is A Good Fit For Modern Times
The classic story by Edgar Allan Poe was first published in 1842, and is set in antiquity in a fictional country that is being ravaged by a plague known as the Red Death, which causes a quick and gruesome death. The prince at the story’s center hosts 1,000 other nobles in a castellated abbey to keep them safe from the plague, but all eventually succumb, asthe story functions as an allegory for the inevitability of death, no matter their wealth or status. That notion is eternal, and readily applicable to the modern, post-COVID world.
Mike Flanagan’s hit 2023 Netflix horror seriesThe Fall of the House of the Usher, which is itself based upon a Poe story of the same name, adapted the story ofThe Masque of the Red Deathfor the framework of its second episode.
The concept of death’s inevitability is familiar to all, as the entire globe has watched a pandemic not unlike the eponymous Red Death ravage humanity in the last few years. As bleak as the original Gothic horror story is, it seems unlikely that there would be much of an audience for a movie that stuck to the original premise. However, a comedic take on the proceedings,heavy in satire and featuring a charismatic and likable star like Sydney Sweeney, would certainly resonate with a large cross-section of moviegoers.
A24’s New Dark Comedy Is Another Opportunity For Sweeney To Flex Her Range
Sweeney Has Starred In Several Thrillers, But Should Thrive In A Dark Comedy
Many of Sydney Sweeney’s movie roles have come in thrillers (with various subgenres attached), buta comedic version ofThe Masque of the Red Deathwill give her an opportunity to play within a truly different style of movie. She has shown her dramatic chops before, especially in television; she received acclaim and award nominations for her work onThe Handmaid’s Tale,Euphoria, andThe White Lotus.Anyone But Youprovided ample evidence that she has comedic talents, andImmaculategave her plenty of scream queen cred as well.
A comedic version ofThe Masque of the Red Deathwould be relatively new ground for the young actress. As one of the movie’s stars,it would be on her to find and tread the line between comedy and the nihilistic dreadthat is inherent in Poe’s classic story. However, as her recent filmography demonstrates, Sydney Sweeney would be the perfect actress for such a movie.
