‘Fallout’ Star Ella Purnell Joins Ari Aster’s Mysterious New Thriller ‘Scapegoat’ Alongside Scarlett Johansson

Ari Aster has built one of the most distinctive résumés in modern filmmaking by keeping audiences guessing right up until release day. From the slow-burn dread of ‘Hereditary’ to the surreal chaos of ‘Beau Is Afraid,’ the director has made a habit of revealing as little as possible about his projects while they’re still coming together.

His latest effort, an A24 thriller titled ‘Scapegoat,’ has followed that exact playbook, with casting news trickling out well before any plot details have been confirmed. That mystery has only deepened as the ensemble has grown increasingly stacked over the past several weeks.

The latest addition brings some serious star power to the project. ‘Fallout’ lead Ella Purnell has officially joined the cast of ‘Scapegoat,’ signing on alongside fellow newcomers Caleb Landry Jones and Samba Schutte, according to Deadline. The trio joins a lineup that already includes Scarlett Johansson, Jacob Elordi and Jude Law.

Character details for all three new additions remain under wraps, consistent with how Aster has handled every casting announcement for the project so far. Purnell arrives with a strong recent track record, currently leading both Prime Video’s ‘Fallout’ and Sky Atlantic’s dark comedy ‘Sweetpea,’ which returns for its second season in November.

Landry Jones, known for his unpredictable and fully committed performances in projects like ‘Get Out’ and ‘Nitram,’ adds another layer of intensity to the cast. Schutte, meanwhile, comes off a breakout turn in ‘Pluribus,’ rounding out a trio that gives Aster considerable range to work with once character details eventually surface.

Aster is writing and directing the project himself, continuing his longtime collaboration with producing partner Lars Knudsen through their Square Peg banner. A24, which has distributed every one of Aster’s films to date, is once again handling the release, keeping his creative partnership with the studio fully intact.

Despite the growing cast, Aster and A24 have offered almost nothing in the way of official plot information. Industry speculation has ranged from a science fiction romance to a more traditional drama, though one theory has gained more traction than the others in recent reporting.

According to that widely circulated theory, the film reportedly follows a surgeon, played by Johansson, whose career unravels after operating on a character inspired by an internet-famous influencer turned boxer resembling Jake Paul. The procedure reportedly goes wrong, and the patient dies, setting off a chain of consequences the surgeon must face in the aftermath.

Elordi is rumored to play a family member of the influencer character, possibly a brother, who begins searching for answers as public outrage over the death intensifies. None of this has been officially confirmed by Aster or A24, so the specifics remain speculative until the studio says otherwise.

‘Scapegoat’ will mark Aster’s fifth feature following ‘Hereditary,’ ‘Midsommar,’ ‘Beau Is Afraid’ and ‘Eddington,’ and it also represents his first collaboration with Johansson. Production is expected to begin in November, with cinematographer Darius Khondji, whose most recent credit was ‘Marty Supreme,’ returning to shoot the film.

With a cast this stacked and a filmmaker this committed to secrecy, ‘Scapegoat’ is shaping up to be one of the more closely watched mystery projects heading into next year.

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