What We Know (So Far) About Possession, Starring Callum Turner & Margaret Qualley

Filming is officially underway for the upcoming Possession remake, and with Margaret Qualley, Callum Turner, Paul Dano and Diego Calva attached, it’s safe to say we’re excited.

Originally released in 1981, Possession was directed by Polish filmmaker Andrzej Żuławski and starred Isabelle Adjani and the late Sam Neill. Set in Cold War-era West Berlin, against the backdrop of the Berlin Wall dividing East and West Germany, the film follows a husband returning home to discover his wife wants a divorce.

What begins as a story about the collapse of a marriage quickly descends into psychological horror, body horror and surreal supernatural terror. Żuławski famously wrote the screenplay while processing the breakdown of his own marriage, something many critics believe gives the film its raw emotional intensity.

The team behind the film

News first broke in July 2024 that Paramount Pictures had won a bidding war against several major studios including Warner Bros., Sony and Netflix to secure the remake rights to the film.

Smile director Parker Finn signed on to write, direct and produce the project following the success of his horror franchise.

At the time, Robert Pattinson was also announced as a producer through his production company Icki Eneo Arlo alongside Vertigo Entertainment’s Roy Lee and Andrew Childs. While Pattinson has remained attached as a producer, there has been no indication that he will appear in front of the camera.

Finn is looking beyond his own horror franchise with Possession, aiming for something more expansive and elevated but also still intimate. The director has previously spoken about wanting to create emotionally driven horror, making him an intriguing choice to tackle one of the genre’s most psychologically complex films.

2026: Margaret Qualley and Callum Turner are cast

After months of silence surrounding the project, Paramount finally confirmed its leading cast in 2026.

Margaret Qualley will take on the role originally played by Isabelle Adjani, while Callum Turner steps into Sam Neill’s role.

Qualley’s casting has largely been welcomed by horror fans following her acclaimed performance in The Substance. Many believe she has the emotional intensity required for one of horror’s most demanding lead performances. Turner’s casting, however, has proven far more divisive on social media.

 

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June 2026: Paul Dano joins the cast

In June, Deadline reported that Paul Dano had officially joined the film in an undisclosed role.

The American actor is best known for his acclaimed performances in films including Little Miss Sunshine and There Will Be Blood, as well as portraying The Riddler in Matt Reeves’ 2022 superhero film The Batman.

Although Paramount has yet to reveal any character details, Dano’s addition only heightened anticipation surrounding the remake, with many fans speculating about who he could be playing.

July 2026: Diego Calva signs on

The ensemble continued to grow in July 2026 when Mexican actor Diego Calva joined the cast.

Calva is best known for his role as Manny Torres in Damien Chazelle’s 2022 Hollywood epic Babylon, as well as his recent appearance in the second season of Netflix thriller series The Night Agent.

His role in Possession also remains under wraps, but alongside Qualley, Turner and Dano, the remake now boasts an impressive ensemble cast.

 

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Filming is officially underway

Production is now underway, with Qualley and Turner recently photographed filming dramatic scenes together in New Jersey.

The images show Qualley running through the streets while Turner appears with blood staining his clothing, suggesting the adaptation will retain at least some of the original’s violent imagery.

One surprising detail, however, is the filming location itself.

The original Possession is inseparable from Cold War-era Berlin. The divided city and looming Berlin Wall aren’t simply a backdrop, they reflect the fractured marriage at the centre of the story and reinforce the film’s themes of division, identity and paranoia.

With filming taking place in New Jersey, fans have begun wondering whether Parker Finn intends to relocate the story entirely or whether the American locations are simply standing in for Berlin. Paramount has yet to reveal exactly how faithful the remake will be to Żuławski’s original setting.

For now, with filming officially underway and an impressive cast and crew assembled, the remake remains one of the most talked about horror projects currently in production with fans watching closely for more glimpses of this highly anticipated reimagining.

Words by Robyn Jane Lawlor