Topic Studios has announced that Thomasin McKenzie and Zoë Kravitz will lead the cast of their upcoming psychological horror film, Self-Portrait. The film will be directed by Mona Fastvold and is based on Rachel Lyon’s debut novel, “Self-Portrait with Boy.”
McKenzie, who starred in Debra Granik’s “Leave No Trace,” will play the role of Lu Rile, a photographer who moves to a run-down artists’ warehouse in 1990s Brooklyn. Kravitz, known for her role in “The Batman,” will play Katherine, an accomplished painter who lives downstairs from Lu.
After Katherine suffers a tragic loss, Lu unknowingly captures the incident in one of her self-portraits, resulting in a horrifying image. The women find themselves consumed by mutual grief and an intensifying relationship, haunted by a demonic force determined to shake their realities.
The script was co-written by Fastvold and Brady Corbet, who also serve as executive producers alongside Ryan Heller, Jennifer Westin, Michael Bloom, and Brian Young. Hayley Theisen is the co-producer, while John Lyons and Margot Hand will produce the film.
WME Independent will launch international sales of the film at Cannes, with CAA and UTA handling domestic rights. Production is expected to begin later this year.
Fastvold’s feature directorial debut, “The Sleepwalker,” co-written with and starring Corbet, premiered at Sundance and was distributed by IFC Films. Her second feature, “The World to Come,” premiered in Venice, where it won the Queer Lion and was distributed by Sony and Bleecker Street. Fastvold and Corbet also co-wrote Corbet’s three directorial features: “The Childhood of a Leader,” “Vox Lux,” and the upcoming “The Brutalist.”
McKenzie, who is represented by UTA, Untitled Entertainment, and GCM, has recently starred in “Old,” “Last Night in Soho,” and “The Power of the Dog,” among other films. Kravitz, represented by CAA and Untitled Entertainment, recently starred in “The Batman” and “Kimi,” and has also appeared in acclaimed TV series such as “Big Little Lies” and “High Fidelity.”
Self-Portrait marks a reteaming of Topic with McKenzie following their successful collaboration on “Leave No Trace.” Recent films from Topic Studios include Nikyatu Jusu’s “Nanny,” Pablo Larraín’s “Spencer,” and Brandon Cronenberg’s “Infinity Pool.” The studio’s upcoming films include David Lowery’s “Mother Mary” with A24 and “Self-Portrait.”
