Thirteen months ago, we heard that production had wrapped on an A24 project called Death of a Unicorn (it originally had an E at the end its title), which stars Paul Rudd (Ant-Man franchise) and Jenna Ortega (Wednesday), was executive produced by Hereditary/Midsommar/Beau Is Afraid director Ari Aster, and boasts a score composed by the legendary John Carpenter, along with his collaborators Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies. We’re anxious to see how this one has turned out – and thankfully, we don’t have much longer to wait. A24 will be giving Death of a Unicorn a theatrical release in the spring of 2025, and today they have unveiled a trailer for the film. You can check it out in the embed above.
Said to be a dark comedy, Death of a Unicorn marks the feature debut of writer/director Alex Scharfman, who co-founded the production company Secret Engine and has produced films like Blow the Man Down and Resurrection. The story centers on a father (Rudd) and daughter (Ortega) who accidentally hit and kill a unicorn while en route to a weekend retreat, where the former’s billionaire boss seeks to exploit the creature’s miraculous curative properties.
Here’s some more information: The movie follows Elliot and his teenage daughter Ridley as they are en route to a crisis management summit with Elliot‘s bosses, the Leopold family, when they accidentally crash into a unicorn. The Leopolds quickly seize the opportunity to exploit the magical creature’s flesh, blood, and horn, which are endowed with supernaturally curative properties. However, as they delve deeper into their research, they discover the deadly consequences of their actions.
Richard E. Grant (Saltburn) plays the billionaire boss. Also in the cast are Téa Leoni (Flirting with Disaster), Will Poulter (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Anthony Carrigan (Barry), Sunita Mani (GLOW), Jessica Hynes (Shaun of the Dead), and Stephen Park (Asteroid City).
Scharfman produced Death of a Unicorn alongside Drew Houpt and Lucas Joaquin of Secret Engine, Tyler Campellone and Lars Knudsen of Square Peg, and Tim Headington and Theresa Steele Page of Ley Line Entertainment. Aster, Rudd, and Ortega serve as executive producers with Michael Williams, Jacob Epstein, David Darby, and Nate Kamiya. A24 and Ley Line Entertainment provided the financing and A24 will be handling the distribution.
What did you think of the trailer for Death of a Unicorn? Does this look like a movie you’d want to catch on the big screen next year? Let us know by leaving a comment below.