Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn looks poised to return to the neon-lit sidewalks, back alleys and pool halls of his cinematic Los Angeles for his next project, The Neon Demon. Announced late last year, the flick is still in the early stages – as he’s currently deep in development on I Walk With The Dead – but the casting calls have begun in earnest as Elle Fanning is in discussions to nab a role.
Described by the director as a bona fide horror about “vicious beauty,” The Neon Demon is set to orbit around an all-female cast within the City Of Angels. We can now add one name to that core cast, as The Wrap reports that Maleficent star Fanning is in negotiations for a role as “an aspiring model who is caught in a world of beauty and demise.” It seems Refn couldn’t be happier to add the actress to his roster, stating the following about her: “Elle Fanning is a super cool wonder woman and I look forward to going on a terrifying trip with her into ‘The Neon Demon.’”
Based on a script by Refn and Mary Laws, the filmmaker has previously revealed his inspiration for the flick and it sounds positively Lynchian:
“One morning I woke and realized I was both surrounded and dominated by women. Strangely, a sudden urge was planted in me to make a horror film about vicious beauty. After making DRIVE and falling madly in love with the electricity of Los Angeles, I knew I had to return to tell the story of THE NEON DEMON.”
Refn’s jaunt into a territory unfamiliar to him – horror – won’t be too strange, however, as he’s enlisting a string of former cohorts onto the crew. Long-time editor Matthew Norman and composer Cliff Martinez will provide their capable skills for a film that’s shaping up to to be one of the most intriguing productions of 2015.
Now then, when will we find out if The Neon Demon is getting a Ryan Gosling cameo?
