Hours after Collider revealed that Alex Wolff is in talks for one of the main roles in M. Night Shyamalan's next movie, Variety reports that Jojo Rabbit star Thomasin McKenzie and Phantom Thread actress Vicky Krieps are in talks to join the cast along with Eliza Scanlen (Little Women) and Aaron Pierre (Krypton).
Plot details for the untitled genre movie are being kept under wraps. All we know at this point is that Universal announced that Shyamalan would write and direct two self-financed thrillers for the studio, which would release them in theaters on Feb. 26, 2021 and Feb. 17, 2023, respectively. Those release dates will likely have to push due to Hollywood's current production shutdown, though the project is expected to be a priority for Universal once restrictions are lifted.
Shyamalan also self-financed his last film, Glass, a sequel of sorts to 2000's Unbreakable and 2016's Split, which went on to gross nearly $250 million worldwide. Shyamalan's films have grossed more than $3.3 billion worldwide, and though the Philadelphia-based director is coming off of the Apple TV+ series Servant, he says he remains committed to making original films, which he has deemed "crucial to the longevity of the theatrical experience."
Before her breakout role opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in Paul Thomas Anderson's acclaimed drama Phantom Thread, Krieps appeared in Roland Emmerich's period film Anonymous. She recently co-starred in The Girl in the Spider's Web, and she'll soon be seen in the indie Harry Haft alongside Ben Foster. Krieps has also wrapped Mia Hansen-Love's next movie Bergman Island with Tim Roth and Mia Wasikowska, the Marvin Gaye biopic Sexual Healing with Jesse L. Martin, and the indie thriller Born to Be Murdered starring John David Washington, Alicia Vikander and Boyd Holbrook.
McKenzie broke out playing Ben Foster's daughter in the indie drama Leave No Trace before going on to co-star in Taika Waititi's Oscar-nominated Jojo Rabbit. She also appeared in last year's Netflix epic The King, and she can currently be seen in the streamer's serial killer drama Lost Girls, as well as the indie True History of the Kelly Gang. McKenzie is currently in the middle of filming Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog, and she'll soon be seen in Edgar Wright's psychological thriller Last Night in Soho.
Scanlen starred on HBO's Sharp Objects before being cast as Beth March in Greta Gerwig's Little Women. She'll soon be seen in Antonio Campos' star-studded Netflix movie The Devil All the Time. Meanwhile, Pierre plays Dev-Em on Krypton and will soon be seen in Barry Jenkins' Amazon series The Underground Railroad.