Mikey Madison in negotiations to replace Sydney Sweeney in The Masque of the Red Death

After winning Academy Award for her critically-acclaimed performance in Anora, Mikey Madison is gearing up for yet another project where she is set to headline The Masque of the Red Death, the feature adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s eponymous short story.

If confirmed, she will replace Sydney Sweeney who has reportedly walked out of the film due to scheduling conflicts. Director Charlie Polinger will direct the film which is described as a "wildly revisionist" take on Poe's short story.

Madison is set to play twin sisters in a story set during a deadly plague, where a deranged prince named Prospero invites the wealthy elite to take refuge in his lavish castle. One of the twins, raised among the common people, infiltrates the castle, where a decadent world of indulgence—marked by drugs, sex, and political intrigue—unfolds. At the center of it all is a grand masquerade ball held in seven uniquely coloured chambers.

Sweeney currently has a line of projects in her kitty including Euphoria season 3, Legendary’s adaptation of Japanese media property Gundam, an adaptation of the Split Fiction game, which is to be directed by Jon M Chu, I Pretended To Be A Missing Girl, based on a short story by Joe Cote, and more. She will also be producing the upcoming film adaptation of the OutRun video game franchise, which Michael Bay is set to helm. She is also awaiting the release of Echo Valley on Apple TV+.

Apart from The Masque of the Red Death, Madison also has Reptilia, directed by Alejandro Landes Echavarría where she will star alongside Kirsten Dunst.

The Masque of the Red Death is set to go on floors either later this year or early in 2026. Polinger and Lucy McKendrick serve as executive producers. A24 is distributing the film worldwide.