Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd Star in A24’s Fantasy Film: I hesitate to express my aversion, but the fantasy genre, particularly traditional, “medieval” epics akin to HBO’s Games of Thrones, has never particularly captured my interest. Nevertheless, the genre has occasionally managed to entertain me; this has typically occurred with films or television programs that modernize recognizable fantasy elements. As such, Death of a Unicorn is one of the forthcoming A24 films that I am most anticipating.
The film’s unconventional and captivating treatment of a traditional fairy tale creature is not the only aspect that captures my interest. In addition, it features a stellar cast led by Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd, is produced in part by one of the most innovative minds in the industry at present, and the musical score is being composed by a living legend. Furthermore, it should be an altogether enchanted experience if it is even remotely comparable to the excellent A24 films we have previously viewed. Let’s review everything fundamental to know thus far about Death of a Unicorn.
WHAT DOES A DATE OF UNICORN RELEASE DEATH SIZE?
Similar to the enigmatic characteristics of its eponymous mythological being, the release date of Death of a Unicorn remains undetermined. As of now, there is no official announcement regarding the release date, and the official A24 website does not even feature a page dedicated to it. However, we will be certain to inform you as soon as that moment arrives.
Release dates for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels swapped
Paul Rudd and Jenna Orteteg are responsible for the demise of an unidentified cast member.
As expected, the ensemble of Death of a Unicorn is stacked with notable individuals, including several A24 veterans and several notable individuals collaborating with the production company for the first time. Who, according to Deadline, has been verified to appear in the film?
PAUL RUDD
Paul Rudd, who has dealt with some spectacular circumstances in more recent endeavors, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Ant-Man and when he took over the Ghostbusters franchise, stars in his very first A24 project. However, the actor first rose to prominence with Judd Apatow films such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin and comedies like Wet Hot American Summer. Death of a Unicorn, which is described as a dark fantasy comedy, appears to be precisely what the actor is looking for.
JENNA ORTEGA
Previously, in 2022, Jenna Ortega starred in one of the finest A24 horror films, X, in which she portrayed the character’s daughter. In addition, she began to acquire recognition as one of the preeminent Scream Queens of her era in that year by joining the Scream franchise and starring as the title character in the Wednesday cast for Netflix.
RICHARD E. GRANT
Richard E. Grant is a member of the ensemble of A Death of a Unicorn. He is also well-versed in fantasy, comedy, and a blend of the two. Grant is renowned for his critically acclaimed directorial debut Withnail & I in 1987, the eerie family films The Little Vampire and Corpse Bride, and the bizarre satire How to Get Ahead in Advertising from 1989. His recent noteworthy contributions consist of being nominated for an Academy Award for Can You Ever Forgive Me?, starring in Saltburn, and joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a Loki variant.
TÉA LEONI
Teá Leoni’s final significant role was as the protagonist in the CBS political drama Madam Secretary. Among her notable credits on the big screen are Wyatt Earp, Bad Boys (1995), Deep Impact, and Spanglish. The actor has also appeared in films such as The Family Man, the third installment in the Jurassic Park franchise, and Ghost Town (2008), in which he encountered extraordinary circumstances.
WILL POULTER
An additional member of the Death of a Unicorn cast is Will Poulter, who portrays Adam Warlock from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Poulter has also appeared in an A24 horror film previously, in 2019. His name is Midsommar. Additionally, in films such as the 2013 comedy We’re the Millers, the critically acclaimed period dramas The Revenant and Detroit, the Emmy-winning fact-based miniseries Dopesick on Hulu, and others, the English actor has demonstrated his remarkable versatility.
ANTHONY CARRIGAN
Anthony Carrigan is best recognized for his three-time Emmy-nominated performance as NoHo Hank on HBO’s Barry. A robot named Dennis Caleb McRoy in Bill & Ted Face the Music and a close confidante to Kevin Hart’s character in the 2021 Netflix drama Fatherhood are among his most notable feature-length roles.
SUNITA MANI
Sunita Mani, who appeared in Daniel Scheinert’s 2019 drama The Death of Dick Long before reuniting with him (along with Daniel Kwan) for a cameo in the Best Picture Oscar winner Everything Everywhere All At Once in 2022 and then appearing in You Hurt My Feelings the following year, is one of the more seasoned A24 veterans in the Death of a Unicorn cast. Additionally, the comedian has appeared in the 2020 horror comedy Save Yourselves! and Netflix’s GLOW, and portrayed the Ghost of Christmas Past in Apple TV+’s Spirited.
JESSICA HYNES
Jessica Hynes, who appeared in the critically acclaimed British sitcom Spaced and briefly in the horror comedy classic Shaun of the Dead, should be well-known to fans of Simon Pegg’s work. The writer and actor has also been cast in notable fantasy films, such as Paddington 2 and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, both of which are family-friendly films.
STEPHEN PARK
Even those unfamiliar with Stephen Park’s name are undoubtedly acquainted with his body of work, which includes Oscar-worthy films from the past, such as Do the Right Thing, and Coen Brothers classics, including Fargo and A Serious Man. Recently, he appeared in the Wes Anderson films The French Dispatch and Asteroid City. For the impending science fiction thriller Mickey 17, he will reunite with Snowpiercer director Bong Joon-ho.
A DARK COMEDY ABOUT A FATHER AND DAUGHTER’S TRAGIC ENCOUNTER WITH A FANTASY CREATURE
It is probably clear from the title that Death of a Unicorn is about the untimely demise of a relatively well-known animal from fantasy literature. KFTV asserts that the narrative is notably intricate and peculiarly grounded in comparison to its fundamental essence.
The eponymous tragedy ensues when the characters of Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega (a father and daughter) strike it by accident while en route to a conference that delves into the subject of workplace crisis management. During their sojourn, Rudd’s character’s antagonist and his family obtain the unicorn, whereupon they discern its unique capabilities that serve their interests.
Alex Scharfman makes his directorial debut with Death of a Unicorn.
Although Death of a Unicorn marks the debut of writer and director Alex Scharfman as a feature-length filmmaker, it is noteworthy that this is not his initial partnership with A24. According to IMDb, he held the position of production executive for The Witch (2015), American Honey (2018), and Backstabbing for Beginners. Additionally, he worked as a producer on the Amazon Original criminal drama Blow the Man Down (2019) and the Rebecca Hall-led Resurrection (2022), which was regarded as one of the top horror films of the year.
Scharfman is additionally a co-producer of Death of a Unicorn with Ari Aster, an artist with whom A24 has previously collaborated. The director has swiftly gained widespread acclaim and ire in the horror industry due to his penchant for delivering incessantly brutal, profoundly unsettling, and ceaselessly captivating thrills in films such as Hereditary (2018), the aforementioned Midsommar (2023), and Beau is Afraid (2023), an epic absurdist odyssey that was nominated for a Golden Globe.
JOHN CARPENTER IS COMPOSING THE SCORE
While Ari Aster is not the sole horror auteur contributing to Death of a Unicorn, the singular John Carpenter is also engaged in the project, albeit in a manner that may differ from your initial expectations. The film’s composer is the director of several legendary horror films, including Halloween and The Thing.
Carpenter is reportedly collaborating on the score with his son Cody and Daniel Davies, who is considered a rock royalty and a rock deity in his own right due to his father, The Kinks guitarist Dave Davies, and membership in bands such as Year Long Disaster (as reported by Bloody Disgusting). Cody and Davies had previously worked with Carpenter, who has also composed the scores for the majority of his filmography (with notable anomalies including Ennio Morricone’s The Thing score) and the music for each of David Gordon Green’s Halloween films.
THE FILM WAS CLEARED TO SHOOT DURING THE ACTORS’ AND WRITERS’ STRIKES
Although the release date of Death of a Unicorn is still unknown, we are fairly confident that it will be included in our 2024 film schedule. The reason for this is that principal photography was successfully concluded in Hungary by mid-2023, despite the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
How did this come to be? Variety reports that SAG-AFTRA authorized multiple independent productions to continue filming despite the picket line being crossed; two of these productions were A24 titles, namely Mother Mary and Death of a Unicorn. The writing and acting guilds, among other demands, went on strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, an organization of which the production company is not a member. The guilds were specifically protesting for more equitable remuneration.
Do you share my enthusiasm regarding A24’s Death of Unicorn? If so, please return to this page for additional updates.
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