rewrite this title Sydney Sweeney in talks to star in a “darkly comedic” adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death

Anyone But You star Sydney Sweeney is in talks to star in Charlie Polinger’s “darkly comedic” take on The Masque of the Red Death.

After bringing romantic comedies back to form with 2023’s Anyone But You, Sydney Sweeney is in talks to star in a different kind of comedy for an adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death. Sweeney is negotiating to star in the feature-length project at A24 and Picturestart, based on the short story by the timeless teller of spooky stories, Edgar Allen Poe. Charlie Polinger (Sauna, A Place to Stay) is directing, writing, and executive producing the “darkly comedic” take on The Masque of the Red Death, with Lucy McKendrick also serving as an executive producer.

Edgar Allen Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death, first published in 1842, follows Prince Prospero’s attempts to avoid a dangerous plague while hiding in his abbey. Some consider Poe’s Gothic fiction tale an allegory for the inevitability of death, though some literary experts disagree. In the story, Prospero hosts a masquerade ball with a gathering of wealthy nobles. When a mysterious guest dressed like a Red Death victim enters the celebration, the grim specter moves from one differently-colored room to the next. Upon the stranger’s meeting with Prospero, the host learns an alarming truth about mortality and that his strange guest could be entirely from another realm.

Sources close to Polinger’s version of The Masque of the Red Death, possibly starring Sydney Sweeney, said plans are to shoot this year, though the nature of its “darkly comedic” take remains unknown.

Meanwhile, Sydney Sweeney’s Hollywood dance card is quite full. She’s currently filming Paul Feig’s The Housemaid, which follows a struggling woman who is happy to start over as a housemaid for an affluent, elite couple. Written by Freida McFadden and Rebecca Sonnenshine, the film also stars Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, Michele Morrone, Megan Ferguson, Alexandra Seal, and Don DiPetta.

Sweeney also returns to Sam Levinson and HBO’s Euphoria for a highly anticipated and long-gestating third season in 2026. Zendaya will return as Rue, and Sweeney will return as Cassie. She will star alongside Hunter Schafer (Jules), Jacob Elordi (Nate), Alexa Demie (Maddy), Algee Smith (Chris), Maude Apatow (Lexi), Storm Reid (Gia), Nika King (Leslie), Austin Abrams (Ethan), and Colman Domingo (Ali).

Are you familiar with Edgar Allen Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death? Will Sweeney be one of Prospero’s guests, or will the character be gender-swapped so that Sweeney can lead the cast? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.