Following The Substance’s success, Margaret Qualley will get bloody again in Victorian Psycho, a horror thriller from Longlegs producer

Shortly after learning about Luca Guadagnino taking on a new adaptation of American Psycho, we’ve heard about another killer that might be on the loose soon. Enter Victorian Psycho, starring The Substance‘s Margaret Qualley.

First of all: Get on Coralie Fargeat’s satirical body horror movie if you haven’t already (and aren’t squeamish about sicko horror). It’s one of this year’s best for sure and just a wild one to see unfold with a group of people. Lovely stuff. You’ll probably walk (or crawl) out of it praising Qualley’s performance, and you won’t be alone, which explains why she’s rapidly becoming one of the most active young actors in Hollywood after more than a few years of killer performances all over.

Deadline shared the exclusive on October 29, stating she’s already been locked to star in this new psychological horror-thriller from Longlegs producer Dan Kagan. Zachary Wigon (who already directed Qualley in Sanctuary) will helm the movie, which comes from a script by Virginia Feito (Mrs. March) that’s based “on her upcoming novel of the same name.”

Anton is moving fast on the project, fully financing it and “launching ahead of next week’s American Film Market.” Expect this one to be a hot package that will find an eager distributor soon, as both the premise and Qualley should be extremely enticing as horror rises as one of the safest, most profitable genres in the post-pandemic era.

The synopsis, as shared by Deadline, reads as follows: “Set in 1858, the film will follow a young, eccentric governess named Winifred Notty (Qualley) who arrives at the remote gothic manor known as Ensor House. Winifred’s responsibilities include teaching the children table manners and educating them about their family’s history, all whilst hiding her psychopathic tendencies. As Winifred assimilates into life at Ensor House, staff members begin to inexplicably disappear, and the owners of the estate begin to wonder if there is something amiss about their new governess.” That’s an easy sell.

Zachary Wigon is already hyping up the script: “Virginia Feito’s screenplay is an audacious blend of psychodrama, satire, gore and mystery.” Qualley is no stranger to any of that, so the entire project feels tailor-made for her. If you haven’t been paying much attention and need some smaller movies to add to your watchlist, check out her work in My Salinger Year, Drive-Away Dolls, and Kinds of Kindness on top of the aforementioned.