Possession by Andrzej Żuławski is getting a remake from Parker Finn (Smile). And Isabelle Adjani has had a few words about her successor.
After a splashy bow to the horror world with Smile and especially its sequel, Smile 2, Parker Finn has decided to take on a genre landmark for cinephiles who savor gore-soaked weirdness. Indeed, the filmmaker has embarked on a remake of Possession, the fantastical-horror drama shot in 1981 at the foot of the Berlin Wall by Andrzej Żuławski. A story of a double and a lover who isn’t quite human, which has become a cult favorite largely for Isabelle Adjani’s electrifying performance—convulsions, astonished stares, and a fetid mucus exhale that has stuck in memory.
So, while Parker Finn and Callum Turner (who will take on the role previously played by Sam Neill) are sure to be watched closely, the pressure is particularly on Margaret Qualley to step into Adjani’s shoes. Beyond a striking resemblance to the star of La Reine Margot, the young actress shares with her a fondness for auteur and genre cinema (as she demonstrated with The Substance). What does Isabelle Adjani herself think? The five-time César-winning actress weighed in on the question.
SHE ONLY HAS QUALLEY-QUALITIES
Interviewed in Numéro magazine while accepting the Human Peace Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2026, Isabelle Adjani did not dodge a question about her replacement in the remake of Possession. Far from spiteful toward the new generation, the actress seems taken with the thirty-something who bears such a strong family resemblance:
“When I met Margaret at a dinner a few years back, she told me she bore more resemblance to me than to her mother, so it seems that this family look sealed the director’s choice for the Possession character. And on top of that, she has extraordinary talent! And yes, Possession, a film that dares to mix mysticism and horror, and this talismanic role, have a cult reputation. Today, this new wave of cinematic extremism becoming trendy results in the remake of a movie like Possession, driven by enlightened opportunism. Why not?”
Beyond talent and resemblance, the choice also seems to hinge on a certain physical compatibility. It remains to be seen whether Parker Finn’s version will foreground a performance as gestural as Żuławski’s, but it’s amusing to recall that the actress known for Maid first shot to fame largely through a particularly acrobatic perfume commercial (the ad, not the fragrance).
If the obvious reference was back then the Spike Jonze-directed Weapon Of Choice video, one might draw a parallel between the iconic corridor scene in Possession and the green-downed dance in Kenzo World. Blood, vomiting, and milk bottles exploding against walls are absent here, but the spirit remains. Parker Finn’s film remains without a release date.
Fans of Margaret Qualley will soon see her in Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars, due in theaters on August 26, 2026.
