EXCLUSIVE: Halsey-led psycho-sexual horror Replacer, which we told you about during Cannes, is set to begin filming in Montreal on September 16.
Backrooms and Zombieland: Double Tap actor Avan Jogia is directing and co-wrote with Grammy nominee Halsey in her first lead film role.
Joining the cast are Karl Glusman, the Neon Demon and Love star, alongside Juliette Gariépy (Red Rooms). Also joining the project is German producer and composer Alex Ridha (Boys Noize) who will score the film. As we previously revealed, Lily Wachowski is among exec producers.
The synopsis reads: “Stranded in Montreal, Proxy (Halsey), a troubled DJ, meets an alluring artist and his group of friends who run an underground radio station. The station’s broadcast becomes warped by a mysterious signal hidden deep beneath the city’s subway system. Proxy must escape before the sound turns her, and her new friends, into something raw, primal, and unrecognizable.”
Alex Ridha’s film and TV scoring credits include the German hacker hit Who Am I and Oliver Stone’s Snowden; in 2025, he co-produced the TRON: Ares soundtrack with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. He has released seven solo albums.
Replacer is produced by Kyle Mann of Independent Edge, Isabelle Deluce of Soft Focus Films, and Olivier Picard and David Pierrat of Parce Que Films, with Damiano Tucci of Underground Media, in association with Doom and Gloom Inc, Anarchists United, Monarch Kaleidoscope, Aska Ventures, and Cray LA.
The film is executive-produced by Wachowski, Colin Kelty, Ronnie Rouge, Anthony Li, Lawrence Mattis, Sarah Flores, Emily McCann Lesser, Keshi and Aaron Dadoo, Clay Epstein, Christopher Renteria, Nicolas Jacques-Bouchard, Antoine Chaume, Mathio Pellerin, Hugues Vaillancourt, Daniel Dubuc, Catherine Duguay-Blackburn and Pierre Philippe Côté.
CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group represent North American rights. Film Mode Entertainment is handling international sales.
U.S. singer-songwriter Halsey has previously starred in movies MaXXXine and Americana.
Glusman is repped by Paradigm, Ilene Feldman Management, and Ziffren Brittenham. Juliette Gariépy is repped by Agence La Suite, alongside Adéquat and Curate.
