Vanity Fair has released an image of Margaret Qualley (The Substance) and Callum Turner (Eternity) with Smile director Parker Finn as they prepare Paramount’s remake of Possession. The trio are holding what appears to be the film’s script ahead of a rumoured summer starting date for the shoot.

A cult psychological horror film released in 1981, the original Possession is a raw, disturbing tale of an unravelling marriage led by two bravura performances from Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill. Directed by Polish auteur Andrzej Żuławski, the thriller is also known for its stark Cold War-era Berlin setting. It remains to be seen whether the remake will move the story to America.

Following her Golden Globe-nominated performance in The Substance, Qualley is currently shooting Jeff Nichols’ Southern Gothic horror movie King Snake opposite Drew Starkey and Michael Shannon. Possession will mark another genre film for Qualley, while Turner recently starred in the eerie sci-fi drama Rose of Nevada, which opens in UK theatres today ahead of a June US release.

The Possession remake will mark Parker Finn’s third film, following his 2022 psychological horror film Smile and its 2024 sequel, which were both critical and commercial successes. The reimagining will also see Robert Pattinson expand his resume as a producer, following upcoming crime drama Primetime and black comedy The Chaperones. In the horror genre, Pattinson is best known for his leading role in Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse.

Finn and Pattinson began developing the project in 2024, inspiring a heated bidding war between A24, Sony, Warner Bros., Paramount, and Netflix. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that theatrical players Sony, Warner Bros., and Paramount were the final three bidders, with the latter studio emerging victorious and demonstrating their belief in Finn after the Smile films.