Will Poulter to Lead Medieval Zombie Horror RAPTURE - A Plague of the Undead Is Coming
A24 vibes meet apocalyptic dread in Rapture, an upcoming medieval-set zombie horror film that will star Will Poulter, Kit Connor, and Manu Ríos. This this zombie film sounds really interesting.
Set in the year 1348, Rapture “alights on Lansley Abbey, a remote stone monastery in Yorkshire, which houses ten monks bound by a life of strict routine and devotion. Their fragile peace is disrupted by the arrival of a messenger – a man with haunting news from the outside world who rapidly shows symptoms of a mystery illness.
“A virulent plague is spreading through the land: marked initially by a hemorrhagic fever, it turns its victims into “revenants” — restless, undead beings. As the contagion closes in, Lansley Abbey becomes a battleground: desperate outsiders beg for refuge while the infected threaten to overrun its walls.
“The monks are torn apart by a moral rift — between those who believe they must care for the sick and those who want to protect the centuries of knowledge safe-guarded by the monastery.
“As death is fully unleashed, so too is the brothers’ capacity for extraordinary acts of altruism and ruthless betrayal, forcing them to confront the ultimate question: what does it mean to be human?”
The project marks the feature directorial debut of playwright Jordan Tannahill, a Giller Prize-nominated author whose BBC-adapted novel The Listeners cemented his status as a storyteller willing to explore the spiritual and the strange.
Production kicks off later this year in Hungary, with backing from Elevation Pictures (Infinity Pool), 2AM (Past Lives), and Brookstreet Pictures (The Brutalist). Eli Arenson (Lamb) is handling cinematography—which, given his past work, means we can expect eerie, atmospheric visuals to match the script’s existential chills.
This also marks a reunion for Poulter and Connor, who previously worked together on Alex Garland’s Warfare.
Gabrielle Stewart, CEO of HanWay Films, shared her excitement, saying: “We have all been blown away by the vision Jordan has for Rapture. It is rare to have such an atmospheric and terrifying zombie horror film that inhabits such an authentic historical world, with complex characters grappling with the biggest moral dilemmas. It is no wonder he has already attracted such great casting in Will, Kit and Manu with more to come, backed by top tier producers.”
With a setting that echoes the slow-burn tension of The Name of the Rose and the chaos of 28 Days Later, Rapture could be the genre hybrid that audiences will enjoy.
Source: Deadline