Skarsgard, Schafer to star in Maddin-directed 'The Confessions'

Canadian directors Guy Maddin, Galen Johnson, and Evan Johnson have secured a new leading cast for their upcoming feature, 'The Confessions.' The film will star Alexander Skarsgard, Hunter Schafer, Maya Hawke, and Harry Melling.

The project is being introduced at the American Film Market this week. Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen's production company, Square Peg, is producing the feature. This marks a renewed collaboration with the directorial trio following their previous work, 'Rumours.'

CAA Media Finance and WME Independent are jointly representing the North American rights for the film. Charades, a French sales company, is managing international sales. In Canada, Elevation Pictures will handle distribution, with financial support from Telefilm Canada.

The film is described as a cautionary psycho-dramedy. The plot centers on nuns facing execution who witness a cursed love triangle that spans the globe. The central conflict involves a missing sea captain and his poet wife. The premise continues the filmmakers' history of creating surreal narratives that shift between genres.

Square Peg became involved during the early development phase of the project. Daniel Bekerman's Scythia Films has also joined the production. The venture connects Square Peg in the United States with two Canadian entities: Scythia Films and Thin Stuff, the latter being the company of Galen Johnson, Evan Johnson, and Fritzi Adelman.

Aster expressed his admiration for the directorial team, calling them among his favorite filmmakers. He described the screenplay as 'as singular and beguiling as anything they've ever written.' The filmmakers released a statement using religious and maritime imagery to describe the project and celebrate the new cast members.

The directorial trio's last feature, 'Rumours,' screened out of competition at Cannes in 2024. That film starred Cate Blanchett, Alicia Vikander, and Charles Dance in an absurdist comedy about world leaders lost in the woods during a summit. It was the first feature the group made together. Square Peg's other credits include 'Bugonia' and 'Midsommar.' Scythia Films has worked on 'The Witch' and 'The Apprentice,' while Thin Stuff has produced 'A.Rimbaud' and 'Strong Son.'