Following her breakout, Oscar-winning performance in Anora, Mikey Madison is set to star alongside Kirsten Dunst in Reptilia, a surreal thriller set in the murky world of Florida’s exotic animal trade. The film will be directed by Alejandro Landes Echavarría, known for his acclaimed hostage drama Monos.
Reptilia follows a dental hygienist (Madison) who becomes ensnared in a shadowy underworld after being seduced by a mysterious mermaid. The script is co-written by Landes Echavarría and Duke Merriman.
The project marks another atmospheric and genre-blurring effort for Landes Echavarría, whose Monos won awards at Sundance and the BFI London Film Festival and was Colombia’s official entry to the Oscars in 2020. His earlier films include Porfirio and Cocalero, both of which premiered at major festivals.
Dunst has previously earned an Oscar nomination for The Power of the Dog and won Cannes’ best actress prize for Melancholia. She is also known for Marie Antoinette, The Virgin Suicides, and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. Her upcoming films include Derek Cianfrance’s Roofman and Ruben Östlund’s The Entertainment System Is Down.
Madison, previously seen in Scream 5, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and FX’s Better Things, has been praised for her bold, emotionally raw performances — a quality likely to shine in Reptilia's twisted, aquatic narrative.
The film is being produced by Imperative Entertainment, Pastel, and AF Films, with Landes Echavarría also producing under his A Stela Cine banner. Black Bear is financing.