Following up on his 2022 grotesque sci-fi thriller Crimes of the Future, David Cronenberg is turning to Prada for his next disturbing project. As part of a larger exhibition for the company titled "Cere anatomiche: La Specola di Firenze | David Cronenberg," the director was recruited to shoot a new short film which will be one of the centerpieces of the show. In typical Cronenberg fashion, the short plays with body horror through its use of four 18th Century wax female corpses that were originally used for medical studies. The exhibition is set to run from March 24 to July 17.

The Prada Foundation gave some insight into the theme and purpose of Cronenberg's film. "Through his short movie, David Cronenberg will provide an alternative gaze on the four female wax models on display, liberating them from their academic function as medical demonstrations and educational tools," the official statement read. They added that the film "will reveal the vivid and unexpected dimension of the female wax corpses that until now have been known for their static and severe nature."

The exhibition is based in Milan and will feature wax figures from Europe's famed La Specola scientific museum in Florence, including one of its most famous - the Anatomical Venus. Cronenberg noted that the anatomical figures were often utilized by medical students who lacked access to corpse dissections at universities and hospitals. Venus is especially unique due to having removable parts, appearing very lifelike and serene with real, flowing human hair before peeling back her layers to reveal organs, bones, and muscles beneath. She marked the beginning of a scientific revolution, mending together the artistry of Medici Florence and the inquiry of the Enlightenment.

David Cronenberg in Star Trek Discovery
Image via Paramount

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Cronenberg's statements about the short sound eerily familiar to the themes he explored through Crimes of the Future. The film, starring Viggo Mortinson and Léa Seydoux, is set in a future where humans have evolved to no longer feel pain, freely operating on themselves for entertainment and for pleasure. Regarding the wax figures, he noted how despite being made for dissection, careful work was put in to ensure they did not appear to be in pain. What unnerved Cronenberg, however, was that the creators instead managed to "produce living characters who seemed to be in the throes of ecstasy." He continued, adding, "It was this startling choice on the part of the sculptors of these figures that captured my imagination: what if it was the dissection itself that induced that ecstasy, that almost religious rapture?" It calls to mind the line from Kristen Stewart's character in the film, "surgery is the new sex."

Cronenberg Keeps Getting to Strut His Stuff With Fashion Houses

Curiously, this is the second time this year Cronenberg has joined forces with a high-profile fashion house. The father of body horror recently boarded the Yves Saint Laurent Spring-Summer 2023 campaign, joining forces with other directors like Jim Jarmusch, Pedro Almodóvar, and Abel Ferrara to help promote the latest collection from the French luxury brand. With Prada, however, he's going beyond modeling accessories to create something in his singular style. It's refreshing to see a company outside the film world bring in a world-class director to do what he does best for their exhibit.

Cronenberg has spent years grossing theatergoers out with The Fly, eXistenZ, and Dead Ringers among other classics that defined body horror. He's experiencing a bit of a resurgence thanks to Crimes of the Future, a Scanners series, and the Dead Ringers Prime Video adaptation which recently received a new teaser. Aside from his Prada short, he also has his next film lined up with The Shrouds which was previously slated to begin filming this month.

Cronenberg's exhibit runs from March 24 to July 17 in Milan, Italy. In the meantime, check out a previous interview Collider conducted with the writer/director below.