Deadline reports that production has wrapped on an A24 production called Death of a Unicorne, 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.
Said to be a dark comedy, Death of a Unicorne 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 Unicorne 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.
Death of a Unicorne was able to film during the ongoing Screen Actors Guild strike due to a SAG interim agreement.
How does Death of a Unicorne sound to you – and does the involvement of John Carpenter and Ari Aster make you more likely to check out this movie than you would be otherwise? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Aster isn’t really a selling point for me, but Rudd, Ortega, and Carpenter all are. I’m definitely on board to watch a Rudd and Ortega movie with music by John Carpenter.