Margaret Qualley (The Substance) and Drew Starkey (Queer) are set to star in King Snake, an upcoming Southern Gothic supernatural horror from filmmaker Jeff Nichols (Mud, The Bikeriders).
Also starring Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water, Knives Out), King Snake follows a young couple (Qualley and Starkey) who inherit a farm in rural Arkansas and must conquer the demons, both physical and metaphysical, that haunt its legacy:
Forces of good and evil collide in a terrifying film where real-world challenges crash headlong into otherworldly creatures and myths.
Per Deadline, who reported the news exclusively earlier today, filming on King Snake is currently underway in Arkansas. Nichols and his partners in Tri-State Pictures, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Sarah Green, are producing in association with Range Media Partners. Conclave and Anora‘s FilmNation is financing and handling worldwide sales.
Here's Nichols' take on reuniting with the company he previously collaborated with on Mud and Take Shelter:
FilmNation has been an integral partner in my career. My films have embraced genre in the past, but I hope to push this approach further with King Snake to create something terrifying and beautiful. Making films is a privilege, and our team is working to create a piece of cinema worthy of FilmNation’s continued support.
FilmNation's Chief Creative Officer, Stacey Snider adds:
Jeff’s startling new vision of supernatural forces is as extraordinary as it is enthralling, and we can’t wait for this incredible story to bewitch and captivate audiences around the world.
Qualley cemented herself in genre history with Coralie Fargeat's Oscar-nominated body horror The Substance, while Starkey previously starred in David Bruckner's Hellraiser reboot and will next be seen in Onslaught, the upcoming action-horror from You're Next and Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard. King Snake won't be Starkey's first foray into the Southern Gothic genre either, as he previously had a role in the Robert Pattinson and Tom Holland-starring thriller The Devil All the Time from 2020.
Look out for more on King Snake as we get it.
