If you’re going to remake Andrzej Żuławski’s legendary, fever-dream horror Possession, you need actors who can scream with their eyes. Enter Paul Dano. Deadline reports that Dano is joining Margaret Qualley (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and Callum Turner (Master of the Air) in Paramount’s update of the 1981 cult classic.
Behind the Camera
Character details are being kept in a locked box, but the creative team behind the camera is already a fascinating mix. Smile director Parker Finn is writing and directing, while Batman himself, Robert Pattinson, is casually on board as a producer alongside Vertigo and Bad Feeling.
Paul Dano
While Paul Dano is universally recognized for his chameleon-like acting and his brilliant directorial debut Wildlife, his career is defined by an impeccable eye for scripts that attract some of the absolute greatest masters of photography in modern cinema history.
He gave a masterclass performance in There Will Be Blood, earning an Academy Award for his efforts. Dano shifted to pure moral dread in Prisoners. Years later, Dano starred as the Riddler in The Batman. He also appeared in Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans.
The Original
The original Possession film is a sacred text for horror nerds, famously tracking a toxic divorce in West Berlin that devolves into supernatural body horror and Cannes-winning madness. Dano—who already has Florian Zeller’s Bunker and A24’s The Chaperones on his upcoming resume—feels right at home here. If anyone can match the frantic, manic energy of the original, it’s him. Let the marital discord begin.
If you have somehow missed the brilliant, iconic original, don’t panic. You can watch it now on AMC+, Prime Video, and YouTube. Here’s a look back at the original trailer.
.
