After starring inWarfare, Will Poulter is set to leadRapturewith one of his costars. Poulter will be best known to many for his previous work in movies likeWe’re the Millers(2013) andThe Maze Runner(2014), with the actor making a splash in horror in 2019 with Ari Aster’sMidsommar. More recently, Poulter has been seen as Chef Luca inThe BearTV series, in addition to playing Adam Warlock inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3(2023). InA24’s acclaimedWarfare, Poulter takes on the role of SEAL team leader Erik.
PerDeadline, Poulter is now set to reunite withWarfarecostar Kit Connor forRapture, which hails from writer and director Jordan Tannahill. Manu Ríos will also star. HanWay Films will be launching sales for the project at Cannes later this month.
Raptureis set to start filming later this year in Hungary, with Elevation Pictures, 2AM, and Brookstreet Pictures producing, and Eli Arenson on board as cinematographer. A synopsis for the medieval zombie movie is included below, teasing that a group of monks will be the central focus:
Set in Medieval England in the year 1348, the story alights on Lansley Abbey, a remote stone monastery in Yorkshire, which houses ten monks bound by a life of strict routine and devotion. Their fragile peace is disrupted by the arrival of a messenger – a man with haunting news from the outside world who rapidly shows symptoms of a mystery illness. A virulent plague is spreading through the land: marked initially by a hemorrhagic fever, it turns its victims into “revenants” — restless, undead beings.
As the contagion closes in, Lansley Abbey becomes a battleground: desperate outsiders beg for refuge while the infected threaten to overrun its walls. The monks are torn apart by a moral rift — between those who believe they must care for the sick and those who want to protect the centuries of knowledge safe-guarded by the monastery. As death is fully unleashed, so too is the brothers’ capacity for extraordinary acts of altruism and ruthless betrayal, forcing them to confront the ultimate question: what does it mean to be human?
The CEO of HanWay Films, Gabrielle Stewart, shared the following statement about the movie:
“We have all been blown away by the vision Jordan has forRapture. It is rare to have such an atmospheric and terrifying zombie horror film that inhabits such an authentic historical world, with complex characters grappling with the biggest moral dilemmas. It is no wonder he has already attracted such great casting in Will, Kit and Manu with more to come, backed by top tier producers.”
What This Means For Will Poulter
Poulter Leads A New Kind Of Zombie Movie
Poulter’s star power has been clearly on the rise over the past few years, withGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3andThe Bear, in particular, proving successful with audiences.Warfarereviews may be glowing, but the film has not been a box office hit, having grossed $25 million on an estimated $20 million budget. It’s not clear whatRapture’s budget will be, butthe title is seemingly already a buzzy one at this early stage. It seems likely to make a much bigger splash thanWarfaredid, which will further boost Poulter’s career.
The zombie horror subgenre has been in something of a downturn in recent years, but it could be poised for a comeback.Danny Boyle’s28 Years Lateris already a hotly anticipated title this summer, and, if it’s a hit, it could reinvigorate interest.Another bonus forRaptureis the fact that it takes place in the Middle Ages, a time period not well-explored with zombies. The most notable example of such a film is probablyArmy of Darkness(1992), but thatEvil Deadmovie was distinctly comedic. From the synopsis,Rapturewill be much darker.
By December 2024, the28 Years Latertrailer had racked up 150 million views, making it the second most-watched horror trailer of all time.
Our Take On Rapture
Is This What The Zombie Genre Needs?
What will be interesting withRaptureis seeing what type of zombies it features. The more traditional slow zombies, as seen inThe Walking DeadTV show, seem to have lost their appeal somewhat in recent years. The recentWalking Deadspinoffs have been introducing new zombie variants, and28 Years Latercontinues a franchise tradition with itsRage Virus, which makes the monsters much faster and more terrifying. WithRapture’s zombies dubbed “revenants,“this film could also be opening the door for some exciting updates to this traditional movie monster.
As seen with the largeWarfarecast, Poulter can excel in a film in which he is part of an ensemble.
WithRaptureset to follow a monastery of 10 monks, there is evidently room for more exciting casting decisions beyond the three currently announced. As seen with the largeWarfarecast, Poulter can excel in a film in which he is part of an ensemble. Many questions remain aboutRapture, but it already sounds like one to look forward to.
