Elisabeth Moss and Max Minghella of The Handmaid’s Tale are back in the news, but not as co-stars. This time around, Minghella will be directing Moss in her starring role in Shell, an upcoming psychological thriller penned by Jack Stanley that will also include Kate Hudson and Kaia Gerber in the cast.
In the film, Shell is not a gasoline brand—it’s the name of a beauty company that promises its clients eternal pulchritude, but for a price. Moss will be playing the role of Samantha, a young actress trying to break into show business. She signs up for a free trial offer, only to discover the insanity behind the vanity when earlier recipients of the offer begin disappearing along with their wrinkles.
In announcing the project, Minghella said: “Shell packs a wildly entertaining genre movie with iconic characters and universal themes that are bound to have people talking long after they leave the theater. I’m so thrilled to be bringing it to life with this extraordinary cast and the incredible support of Black Bear International, Love & Squalor and Automatik.”
To this, Moss added: “This is one of the most unique, entertaining and special scripts I’ve ever read and I am so honored to be a part of it as an actor and flattered that Max came to me with this character, who’s unlike anyone I’ve ever played before. Having worked with Max for years on The Handmaid’s Tale, I’m so thrilled to now be directed by him as I’m a huge fan of his as a filmmaker. We at Love & Squalor are also excited to be working alongside Automatik and Black Bear, two companies we very much admire.”
This is not the first time Minghella will have helmed a film centered on young starlets with big dreams: his 2018 Teen Spirit, a coming-of-age tale about a wannabe singer, starred Elle Fanning, Rebecca Hall, and Zlatko Burić. Moss’s recent film credits include Her Smell, The Invisible Man, and Shirley.