Maika Monroe’s Gothic Longlegs Follow-Up Victorian Psycho Unveils Brutal First Teaser

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Maika Monroe returns to the horror genre in the first trailer for Victorian Psycho. The film is based on Virginia Feito’s novel of the same name, which WW Norton published just recently, and is expected to release in 2026.

Victorian Psycho Almost Didn’t Star Maika Monroe

In the film Victorian Psycho, Monroe stars as Winifred Notty, a peculiar governess who takes a job at Ensor House, a secluded, old mansion in Victorian England. She’s tasked with teaching the children etiquette and family history, but she’s secretly a psychopath. As Winifred settles in, members of the staff start vanishing, leading the homeowners to suspect she’s hiding something dangerous.

I’m really excited about Victorian Psycho – it’s going to be Sadie Monroe’s comeback to horror! I loved her in Longlegs a couple of years ago, where she was an FBI agent chasing Nicolas Cage’s seriously creepy character. Sadly, it doesn’t look like we’ll see her reprise that role at Paramount, but I’m still hyped for this new project!

Fans might have waited even longer for Marilyn Monroe’s return to horror if things had gone differently with the casting. Originally, in October 2024, Margaret Qualley, fresh off her success in the horror film The Substance, was chosen to play the lead role. However, she left the project for reasons that weren’t made public, and Monroe was then cast to take her place.

Had Margaret Qualley remained in the film Victorian Psycho, it would have reunited her with director Zachary Wigon. She previously starred in his 2022 film Sanctuary, a dark comedy thriller starring Christopher Abbott, which received positive reviews and was distributed by Neon.

The switch from Qualley to Monroe as the lead wasn’t the only significant change for the film Victorian Psycho. Following Qualley’s departure, A24 also dropped the project, having previously secured the rights to distribute it in the United States in December 2024.

After a search, Bleecker Street will distribute the gothic thriller Victorian Psycho in the U.S., with a nationwide theatrical release planned for 2026. The film stars Monroe, alongside Thomasin McKenzie, Evie Templeton, Ruth Wilson, and Jason Isaacs.

Victorian Psycho Is the First of Many New Projects for Maika Monroe

Danielle Monroe first gained attention in 2014 with starring roles in films like The Guest and It Follows. However, her career slowed down over the next ten years, and she didn’t appear in many major movies. The recent success of Longlegs has definitely put her back in the spotlight.

Following her role in Longlegs, Monroe appeared in the Hulu remake of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and a Universal Pictures film adaptation. This latter movie was a hit in theaters earlier this year, earning $89 million on a $25 million budget.

I’m really excited about what’s coming up for Monroe! She’s finished filming two projects – a drama called Place to Be and a romantic thriller, Vegas: A Love Story. Plus, and this is huge, she’s going to be back as Jay Height in the sequel to It Follows! We were originally supposed to start filming that in early 2025, but things got a little messy with everyone’s schedules, so it’s been pushed back. She says it’s…

The film Victorian Psycho premiered at the Un Certain Regard section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on May 21st. It will be released in cinemas by Bleecker Street on September 25th.

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2026-05-21 19:06