The Greatest Horror Filmmaker Is Finally Making Another Movie, Why You Need To Get Excited

David Cronenberg initially imagined The Shrouds as a series. Netflix picked up the project, but the streaming giant ultimately canceled it. Despite this setback, Cronenberg remained passionate about the story and reworked it into a feature film. 

The supernatural horror thriller was first announced back in May 2022, reuniting Cronenberg with Vincent Cassel, with whom he also worked on Eastern Promises and A Dangerous Method. In addition to Cassel, the cast is full of A-list actors, including Diane Kruger and Guy Pearce.

David Cronenberg himself has described The Shrouds as his most personal film to date. Actress Diane Kruger came forward to say that the horror thriller film touches on themes of loss, grief, and long-term relationships with details about Cronenberg and the passing of his wife. 

Diane Kruger will play not one but three distinct characters. She will ‘bring to life’ Karsh’s deceased wife, his sister, and an avatar connected to his wife’s memory. In past Cronenberg horror films, we have seen multiple characters played by one person, e.g., Jeremy Irons in Dead Ringers, and there is no doubt that David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds will keep the viewers on the edge the whole time with this kind of mysterious twist. 

Before Kruger got the part, it belonged to Léa Seydoux, but she dropped out of the project, saying, “I loved working with David [Cronenberg]. I love him. I’m a huge fan, but then I thought, first of all, I was a bit tired. I wanted to have a break” for IndieWire, and continued “Maybe I thought two French actors speaking English, it’s weird.” She concluded by saying, “The script is great but I wanted to have some time for myself.”

On the other side of the leading couple is Cassel as Karsh, a businessman wrestling with grief following his wife’s death. Fueled by this immense loss, Karsh invents a controversial technology that blurs the lines between life and death as the “device lets him and his clients connect with their departed loved ones in their shrouds.” However, “one night, several graves, including that of his wife, are vandalized. Karsh sets out to find the culprits.”

Such a unique yet rather disturbing premise is another kind of horror from David Cronenberg, as The Shrouds is unlike anything he has attempted before. Though he has often mixed technology and body horror, the personal touch is what sets it apart a great deal. 

The music from the legendary Howard Shore will support the horror atmosphere in The Shrouds. Shore and David Cronenberg have worked on several films in the past, including Videodrome, The Fly, and A History of Violence, and it feels okay to be excited for them to reunite for The Shrouds once again. 

Saïd Ben Saïd and Martin Katz are producing the film for Prospero Pictures and SBS International, with Steve Solomos as co-producer. The behind-the-scenes crew includes cinematographer Douglas Koch, art director Jason Clarke, and production designer Carol Spier.

Principal photography for The Shrouds took place in Toronto, Canada, and filming was done over just four weeks, between May 8 and June 19, 2023.

With the Cannes Film Festival lineup announcement just around the corner, there’s strong speculation that David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds could be in the premiere spot. French distributor Pyramide Films has locked in September 25, 2024, for the film’s release in France. Nevertheless, details for a U.S. release haven’t been announced yet. 

At 81 years old, David Cronenberg defies expectations. Having almost retired after 2014’s Maps to the Stars, he surprised audiences with the critically acclaimed Crimes of the Future in 2022.

Cronenberg is one of the last remaining horror icons from the 1960s and 1970s, still actively making films. His influence on the genre is undeniable, inspiring generations of filmmakers who continue to push boundaries. Films like Titane, which recently won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, wouldn’t exist without his groundbreaking explorations of body horror. 

The Shrouds has the potential to be another career-defining film for David Cronenberg, and it won’t be a surprise if we see its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.