A troubled taxidermist with a terrible boss will channel his inner Buffalo Bill in the Ireland-set dark comedy thriller Killing Kelly.
Screen Daily reports that production is scheduled to begin this fall in Dublin, and the project is set to star Thomasin McKenzie (Victorian Psycho, Last Night in Soho) and Jason Isaacs (Honey Bunch).
Killing Kelly follows “Murphy, a shy young taxidermist who toils endlessly for his abusive boss, the titular Kelly, played by Isaacs. Provoked by yet another cruelty, the youngster unintentionally kills Kelly and uses his skills to wear the dead man’s skin, living a double life that is as ridiculous as it is terrifying. Murphy’s only hope is to seek the help of his newfound love, the defiant and unconventional Miss Poe, played by McKenzie.“
As the plot synopsis indicates, Isaacs will essentially take on a double role, playing both Kelly and the taxidermist donning Kelly’s skin.
Iain Softley (The Skeleton Key, Hackers) directs from a screenplay by Johnny Ferguson, who adapts from Irish author and playwright Flann O’Brien‘s short story, “Two in One.“
“Killing Kelly is a bold, extraordinarily original film that manages to be simultaneously funny, brutal, and narratively gripping, but threaded through the film is a seductive and enchanting love story,” said Softley. “With the addition of Upgrade, Highly Flammable, and this incredible cast, we are bringing a surreal Irish story to the screen with a modern, cinematic edge.”
McKenzie is also slated to star in the upcoming horror movie Rule of Three.
