Reptilia: Mikey Madison & Kirsten Dunst to star in creepy mermaid thriller

Mikey Madison is setting up her first post-Oscar role as she’s set to star in Reptilia, a new feature from Alejandro Landes Echavarría (Monos). Kirsten Dunst will co-star in the movie about a dental hygienist who is seduced by a mysterious mermaid into the dark and wet underworld of Florida’s exotic animal trade. I take it this isn’t a Splash sequel.

The movie is based on a script by Landes Echavarría and Duke Merriman. It will be introduced to international buyers at the Cannes market by Charades. Principal photography will commence this fall.

Madison almost certainly had her pick of projects after winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for Anora, and Reptilia sounds like an interesting choice.

She’s had offers for much bigger projects, including Shawn Levy’s upcoming Star Wars movie starring Ryan Gosling. She was reportedly in consideration for one of the significant roles in the film, but ultimately passed. Jeff Sneider later said he “was told by a well-placed source that Madison turned her back on Star Wars not for any creative reason, but simply for financial reasons. … the two sides were apparently far apart in terms of money.” She was also reportedly offered one of the lead roles in Zach Cregger’s upcoming Resident Evil reboot.

Dunst was last seen starring in Civil War, Alex Garland’s dystopian action thriller. She played Lee Smith, a renowned war photojournalist. Our own Chris Bumbray thought it was possibly her best role. “Dunst’s portrayal is believable, with her fitting the portrait of a former hot shot, celebrity journalist worn down by the job to a tee,” he wrote in his review. “Looking believably tired and worn, she always holds your sympathy and makes for an ideal companion on this cinematic journey into the inferno.“

She will next be seen in Derek Cianfrance’s Roofman opposite Channing Tatum. Based on a true story, the film stars Tatum as a former Army Ranger and struggling father who starts robbing McDonald’s restaurants by cutting holes in their roofs, which earns him the nickname “Roofman.” After escaping from prison, he begins a new life while hiding in a toy store and falls in love with a single mother (Dunst) and her two daughters. However, his criminal past and a final robbery threaten to destroy his chance at redemption.

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