Maika Monroe is stepping into another chilling role, trading her psychic detective badge from Longlegs for a bonnet and something far more sinister. The actor has been cast as the lead in Victorian Psycho, a psychological horror set in 1858, replacing Margaret Qualley, who previously held the role but had to depart due to a sudden scheduling conflict.
The film, directed by Sanctuary’s Zachary Wigon and based on a novel by Virginia Feito (who also penned the screenplay), will see Monroe embody Winifred Notty, a governess with a disturbing secret. Hired to care for children at a remote gothic estate, Notty brings more than discipline with her. As staff members start disappearing, it becomes clear the new governess isn’t just a stickler for rules — she’s hiding a much darker impulse.
“Maika’s intense screen presence has resonated with me over and over again throughout her history of complex performances,” Wigon said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m absolutely thrilled for her to bring her unique style of psychological portraiture to the fascinatingly bizarre Winifred Notty.”
Monroe will star opposite Thomasin McKenzie (JoJo Rabbit, Last Night in Soho), rounding out a cast that leans heavily into the film’s eerie, period atmosphere. Behind the scenes, the project is being shepherded by producers Dan Kagan, Sébastien Raybaud of Anton, and Wigon himself, alongside Anonymous Content. Anton is fully financing and handling international sales.
This marks Monroe’s third recent horror outing, following Longlegs and Azrael, both produced by Kagan. It also adds to her growing status as a modern scream queen. Up next, she’ll star in a remake of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, another thriller centered around a dangerously deceptive caretaker.
Before cameras roll on Victorian Psycho — scheduled to begin filming this August — Monroe is set to appear in Reminders of Him, a more emotionally grounded turn in Universal’s adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-seller. No release date for Victorian Psycho has been announced yet, but expect something wicked to come this way.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
You may also like
-
‘True Detective’ Duo Reunite Matthew McConaughey and Nic Pizzolatto Will Tackle a Mike Hammer Adaptation
-
James Gunn and David Corenswet Talk Superman’s Trunks—and Why Everyone Knows He’s an Alien
-
‘Echo Valley’ Hits Apple TV+ Today A Twisted Tale of Loyalty and Secrets Starring Sydney Sweeney
-
Director Kevin Williamson Opens Up on the Fallout from Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega Leaving ‘Scream 7’
-
‘Titan: The OceanGate Disaster’ Netflix Documentary Tracks 10 Years of Warnings and Mistakes