Frankenstein star Jacob Elordi is in talks to come on board for Ari Aster's upcoming thriller Scapegoat where he will be starring alongside Scarlett Johansson. If a deal is finalised, the film is expected to begin shooting later this year.
Aster is directing Scapegoat from his own script. The filmmaker will produce the project alongside Lars Knudsen through their Square Peg banner.
For the uninitiated, Aster is known for critically acclaimed horror films such as Hereditary and Midsommar, besides the tragicomedy Beau Is Afraid and the satirical thriller Eddington. Reportedly, Scapegoat brings Aster back together with distributor A24 after collaborations on the four films mentioned above.
While plot details for Scapegoat are being kept under wraps, various descriptions of the project have circulated, including speculation that it could involve a doctor operating on an internet-famous person, a sci-fi romance or a more traditional drama. However, there is no confirmation on the same.
Aster has been clear on who his stars should be as he brought Johansson on board back in May. She was his top choice for the film's lead role. Now, he is in negotiations with Jacob Elordi who is currently on a break following the arduous shoot of Frankenstein from Guillermo del Toro.
Elordi received his first Oscar nomination for the role. He followed Frankenstein with Warner Bros' Wuthering Heights, in which he co-starred with Margot Robbie. He also returned for the final season of Euphoria, which premiered recently. Elordi's next project is Ridley Scott's action thriller The Dog Stars, which also stars Margaret Qualley and Josh Brolin.
Besides Scapegoat, Johansson busy with many much-anticipated projects inclduing the Exorcist film alongside Flanagan and a role in the sequel to The Batman, co-starring Robert Pattinson. Johansson was last seen in 2025's Jurassic World Rebirth, one of the highest-grossing films of the year. In the same year, she also directed her debut film Eleanor the Great. The project with Flanagan is set to mark Johansson's first true-blue horror film.
