Ari Aster's Secret Project Adds Another Name: What We Know About Scapegoat

Close-up of a vintage metal film reel with a strip of film in soft light

Ari Aster has a talent for making people nervous before a single frame is released. His next film, Scapegoat, now has Cory Michael Smith in the cast, and the more names that join, the stranger it feels that nobody can say what the movie is about. Here are the questions I keep seeing, with the answers that are actually on the record.

Who is in it?

Scarlett Johansson leads. She signed on first, in May, followed by Jacob Elordi in August and Jude Law in late September. Ella Purnell, Caleb Landry Jones and Samba Schutte were added a couple of days after Law. Smith, reported by Deadline on October 21, is the latest arrival. His role has not been disclosed, which seems to be the theme of this whole project.

So what is the plot?

Nobody knows, and the rumors contradict each other. One version says the story involves a doctor who operates on an internet-famous person. Another calls it a sci-fi romance. A third claims it is closer to a traditional drama than anything Aster has made. Insiders told Deadline there is no consensus. Personally, I enjoy a little mystery in an era when trailers give away the third act, so I am fine waiting.

Who is making it?

Aster wrote the script and is directing. A24 is distributing, as it has for every one of his features, and it is produced through Square Peg, the company he runs with Lars Knudsen. That relationship is one of the steadier director-studio partnerships around, and Square Peg has also produced films like Dream Scenario and Bugonia.

When can we see it?

Filming is reportedly set to begin in November 2026, and The Playlist has suggested a theatrical release in late 2027. A24 has not announced an official date, so treat any specific day you see online with suspicion.

Why is Cory Michael Smith a smart choice?

Smith has spent years playing people who are slightly off-center in the best way. Many viewers still know him as Edward Nygma, the future Riddler, across 100 episodes of Gotham. He has worked repeatedly with Todd Haynes on Carol, Wonderstruck and May December, played Chevy Chase in Saturday Night, and earned praise for the HBO film Mountainhead. He also leads the A24 thriller Slayground, out January 29, 2027. An actor who can be charming and unsettling in the same scene is exactly who you want in an Aster film.

Is this a comeback swing for Aster?

Partly, I think. Hereditary and Midsommar were hits on small budgets. Beau Is Afraid and Eddington were more divisive and earned far less than they cost. A starry cast and a tight-lipped campaign feels like a director trying to find the sweet spot again.

For the full cast timeline and the career details on both men, read this report on Cory Michael Smith joining Scapegoat.

My bet? Whatever Scapegoat turns out to be, people will be arguing about it for weeks after it opens. That is usually the point with Aster.

Photo: Sami TURK / Pexels (https://www.pexels.com/photo/34084909/)

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