Harsh Vardhan
The Big Easy will be the backdrop for Em Johnson’s upcoming feature! The principal photography of ‘The Designer’ will begin in New Orleans, Louisiana, later this month. As disclosed earlier, Gina Gershon, Katherine Waddell, Ethan Slater, and Jesse James Keitel lead the cast of the body horror movie.
The plot revolves around Geraldine Quinn, an antisocial person who is captivated by the allure of beauty and success. She steals her mother’s credit card to attend the Spring Summit of Kismet, a makeup company. She then joins the firm’s cult-like sales force led by Josephine, who is known as The Designer. Geraldine finds a new sense of purpose after joining Kismet. As she reinvents herself in the image of Josephine, she rises professionally, only for her obsession with reaching the top position to threaten her career.
Gershon’s recent credits include Moxxi in Eli Roth’s ‘Borderlands,’ an adaptation of the popular video game franchise of the same name. The actress also appeared in Roth’s horror film ‘Thanksgiving,’ the acclaimed thriller ‘Emily the Criminal,’ and NBC’s medical drama ‘New Amsterdam.’
Waddell previously worked with Johnson, starring in the indie drama ‘Balloon Animal’ as Poppy Valentine. Her prominent credits include Rebecca in the romantic drama ‘Dinner in America.’ Slater recently played Henry in the film adaptation of Donn Fendler’s ‘Lost on a Mountain in Maine.’ The actor appeared in popular shows such as ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ as Steven and ‘Instinct’ as Noah.
Keitel is currently working on two upcoming projects: ‘Riding Shotgun’ and ‘Obsession.’ The latter follows Oliver and Ciara, who begin a passionate relationship after meeting at a supermarket. However, their romance takes a dark turn when a dead body is discovered 56 days later, leading investigators to unravel the disturbing truths behind their turbulent love affair. The actress is also known for her roles in the Peacock series ‘Queer as Folk’ and the crime drama ‘Big Sky.’
Johnson’s latest directorial project, ‘Blush,’ follows the story of two solitary individuals who spend five transformative days together in Chicago. Her debut feature film, ‘Balloon Animal,’ explores the life of a young circus performer who, constrained by her father’s strict rules and societal expectations, becomes enchanted by small-town America, leading her to question her entire life.
New Orleans has always been a horror hotbed, with projects like ‘Renfield’ and ‘Imaginary’ coming out of the region in recent times.
