Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, and Will Poulter set to star in 'Hereditary' director Ari Aster's next project

For those who didn't manage to catch it early at this year's Sundance Film Festival, Hereditary quickly emerged as one of the best (and scariest) surprises of the summer. The directorial debut of Ari Aster earned raves for its deliberate approach, precise filmmaking, and two Oscar-worthy turns from Toni Collette and Alex Wolff. And not only did it go down as one of the best-reviewed films of the season, it also turned a nice little profit for A24, grossing $79 million at the worldwide box office. With Aster instantly joining the ranks of Robert Eggers, Jennifer Kent, and David Robert Mitchell as one of the great indie horror auteurs of the decade, it's no surprise that his next project has come together rather quickly. Previously known as Midsommar (no title was announced in today's reports), production the A24-backed horror picture is currently underway. It looks like Aster has assembled another great cast for his latest cinematic nightmare. 

According to Variety (among other sources), Florence Pugh will star as the female lead in Aster's new film, which is shooting in Budapest. Collider also revealed more details about the film's ensemble, noting that Jack Reynor and Will Poulter have been cast in lead roles. In addition, Vilhelm Blomgren, The Good Place star William Jackson Harper, Ellora Torchia, and Archie Madekwe will round out the cast. 

Per Collider, the film follows a young couple on a trip to Sweden, who plan to visit their friend's quiet town for the famous mid-summer festival. If you're familiar with Aster's debut film, it won't surprise you to learn that it quickly devolves into violence and cult-like behavior. 

While the supporting players are mostly unknowns, Aster has attracted three rising stars for his follow-up outing. Pugh burst onto the scene in last year's Lady Macbeth, earning raves for her performance in the dark drama. The actress will likely shift from indie darling to international superstar over the course of the next year, bolstered by roles in Park Chan-wook's mini-series The Little Drummer Girl, David Mackenzie's Netflix epic Outlaw King, and Greta Gerwig's Little Women, where she'll star as Amy March.

Reynor and Poulter co-starred together in Kathryn Bigelow's Detroit, so this will be something of a reunion for the pair. While Poulter's only upcoming project is next month's The Little Stranger, Reynor will make appearances in Kin, Ruth Bader Ginsburg drama On the Basis of Sex, and Mowgli, which was just bought by Netflix from Warner Bros. 

Lady Macbeth is a movie that I missed, so I'm still unfamiliar with Pugh's talents at this time. Nonetheless, she seems destined to be a superstar, and I'm thrilled to see such a fine trio lead Aster's next project. I became a Reynor fan for life after Sing Street, and Poulter was truly terrifying in the aforementioned Detroit. If Poulter is playing a villain in Aster's new film, I don't know if I'll be able to survive it. The main draw here is Aster, who created one of my favorite movies of the year and one of the best horror movies in recent memory with Hereditary. It's such an accomplished debut, and I can't wait to see this follow-up.

With production underway, look for Aster's next project to arrive in 2019, possibly in time for a Berlin or Cannes premiere. 

Image: Roadside Attractions

Poster courtesy of A24