If you’re going to invite Takashi Miike (“Audition,” “Ichi the Killer”) to the party, you probably shouldn’t expect anyone to leave with the same clean conscience they arrived with. Deadline reports that Charli XCX’s untitled slasher-horror with the prolific Japanese filmmaker has expanded its ensemble, adding Milly Alcock (“House Of The Dragon”), Norman Reedus (“The Walking Dead”), Kiko Mizuhara (“Norwegian Wood”), and Show Kasamatsu (“Tokyo Vice”).
READ MORE: ‘The Moment’ Review: Charli XCX Blows Up The BRAT Era In An Unexpected Fashion [Sundance]
The basics, as described so far: the film is set in Kyoto and centers on a reunion trip that goes awry when Charli XCX’s character becomes possessed by a violent, tortured spirit. The setup includes three best friends meeting up in Kyoto to rekindle their lifelong friendship—until the horror premise kicks the door in.
On the creative side, the project has Ross Evans writing and Charli XCX producing under Studio 365, the banner she launched as she began stacking screen projects alongside her music career. Miike’s involvement, meanwhile, signals the kind of genre elasticity he’s made a calling card—moving from boundary-pushing horror to crime, action, and even family-oriented work across a career that spans over 100 film and TV productions.
The new cast gives the package a clean mix of current heat and cult gravity: Alcock broke out as young Rhaenyra in “House of the Dragon” and is also set to star as Kara Zor-El in “Supergirl.” Reedus remains synonymous with “The Walking Dead” universe, while Kasamatsu has been recognized for work including “Tokyo Vice.” Mizuhara’s screen work includes “Norwegian Wood,” among other Japanese films and series. Charli XCX is coming off her A24 mockumentary “The Moment,” which premiered at Sundance and hit theaters late January, a sure sign of her pivot to hipster-coded cinema.
Deadline frames the new additions as coming aboard ahead of the film heading into the marketplace (and closer to a shoot), which aligns with how these international genre packages often firm up—cast, location flavor, and a hooky logline designed to travel. [Deadline]
