Margaret Qualley Runs For Her Life In First Set Photos For New Horror Remake Of '80s Classic
Marion Curtis/StarPix for Focus Features/INSTARimagesGrowing up around performers, storytelling was always central to Emma's life. Add in a nerdy older brother who introduced her to Marvel at far too young an age, and her love for entertainment led her to pursue a Journalism degree at Indiana University, where she discovered her passion for entertainment reporting. She spent nearly one year in Los Angeles covering industry stories and fully immersing herself in the world of entertainment media.
Margaret Qualley appears to be running for her life in new set photos for the upcoming Possession remake.
The psychological horror movie is a new interpretation of director Andrzej Żuławski’s 1981 cult classic starring Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill. Smile filmmaker Parker Finn is writing, directing, and producing the remake for Paramount Pictures, while Robert Pattinson is also attached as a producer. Qualley will inherit Adjani’s role opposite Eternity star Callum Turner.
Photos shared by Getty Images show the first look at Qualley filming Possession in Jersey City, New Jersey. Dressed entirely in black with her long hair pulled into a loose braid, she appears distraught as she runs screaming along a street. Additional images show the actor jumping over outdoor restaurant furniture during the intense sequence.
The photos do not reveal what Qualley’s character is attempting to escape from, leaving it unclear whether she is being pursued by another person or something far more sinister. But the photos appear to match the original film's intensity and nightmarish atmosphere — something Finn is likely to replicate in the remake. The actor is also no stranger to physically demanding horror roles. Qualley's role in The Substance also makes her a natural choice to lead another unsettling body-horror story.
Żuławski’s Possession follows Mark, an international spy who returns to West Berlin and learns that his wife, Anna, wants a divorce. As Mark becomes determined to uncover the reason for her increasingly erratic behavior, his suspicions about an affair lead him toward a disturbing secret involving an otherworldly creature. The story combines supernatural horror with a brutal examination of a marriage falling apart.
Adjani earned widespread acclaim for her demanding performance, winning Best Actress at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival. The original movie’s reputation has only grown since then, earning an 87% critics' score and a 76% audience reaction on Rotten Tomatoes. Anna's dramatic breakdown in a subway passage has become particularly famous. Although the new photos do not appear to recreate that specific sequence, they suggest Qualley will bring similar intensity to the remake.
The original star has also endorsed Qualley’s casting, calling her “incredibly talented” and noting their physical resemblance after meeting her several years ago, according to an interview with Numéro.
Finn's involvement further raises expectations after the success of both Smile movies. The first film holds a 79% Tomatometer score and a 77% Popcornmeter score on RT, while Smile 2 improved to 86% critics' score and 81%, respectively. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Finn said his remake would honor the original while retaining its“teeth and ferocity.” Qualley’s visibly unrestrained performance in the set photos suggests he intends to follow through.
With production now underway, the images offer the first real indication of how Finn’s Possession may look. They avoid exposing any of the remake’s most telling elements, but Qualley’s terrified sprint suggests Anna will still showcase the same terrors. Paramount has not yet announced a release date.