Maika Monroe To Play A Killer Governess In Zachary Wigon’s ‘Victorian Psycho’ Adaptation, Replaces Margaret Qualley

Maika Monroe has signed on to play a killer governess in Zachary Wigon’s psychological horror thriller adaptation, Victorian Psycho.

The feature is an adaptation of Virginia Feito’s novel of the same title that was published in January of this year. Feito also wrote the script for the film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the plot, set in 1858, explores the character of Winifred Notty, a governess who is “hiding her psychopathic tendencies while arriving to work at a remote gothic manor. But as the woman takes care of her charges, staff members begin to inexplicably disappear, and the owners of the estate begin to wonder, too late, mind you, if their new governess is serving up a spoonful of sugar with a little arsenic on the side.”

Monroe will share the screen with JoJo Rabbit’s Thomasin McKenzie, replacing Margaret Qualley in the role of the killer governess. Wigon spoke about the decision to cast Monroe, commenting that the actress’ “intense screen presence has resonated with [Wigon] over and over again throughout her history of complex performances,” and then Wigon goes on to add, “I’m absolutely thrilled for her to bring her unique style of psychological portraiture to the fascinatingly bizarre Winifred Notty.”

Monroe has become one of horror’s iconic “scream queens” in the last decade or two with her leading role in 2014’s It Follows and starring opposite Nicholas Cage in 2024’s Longlegs, which would go on to be one of the most successful horror features of the last decade. Monroe is also preparing to play the psychopathic nanny in 20th Century Studios’ remake of The Hand That Rocks The Cradle. 

Wigon has two directed films under his belt, those being 2014’s The Heart Machine and 2022’s Sanctuary. He will also produce alongside Dan Kagan and Sèbastien Raybaud of Anton, the company that will be financing the project. Nick Shumaker, Bard Dorros, and Feito will executive produce.