David Cronenberg’s Upcoming Film Unveils Release Date, Marking His Lengthiest Career Film

Described as David Cronenberg’s “most personal film,” The Shrouds, his upcoming film is around the corner as it unveils its release date. While U.S. distribution details are yet to be finalized, French distributor Pyramide Films has announced a release date of September 25, 2024, making it Cronenberg’s longest film to date. This isn’t the first time the filmmaker has made a film with a long run time, but his upcoming film has even surpassed them.

Cronenberg previously made  Dead Ringers and Naked Lunch, whose runtime was 115 minutes, which is indeed long but stating for the audience who always craves a little more. Now, the filmmaker is once again back with a long-running film whose duration is just a bit longer, but it does make the film Cronenberg’s longest film of his career.

David Cronenberg is all set with his upcoming longest film of his career

The runtime of The Shrouds is 119 minutes. The film features an ensemble cast including Diane Kruger, Vincent Cassel, and Guy Pearce and follows the tale of Karsh (played by Vincent Cassel), a grieving widower who builds an innovative device to help people connect with the dead. 

The synopsis of The Shrouds reads: “Karsh, 50, is a renowned businessman. Inconsolable since the death of his wife, he invents a revolutionary and controversial system, GraveTech, which allows the living to connect to their deceased loved ones in their shrouds. One night, several graves, including that of his wife, are vandalized. Karsh sets out to find the culprits.”

Previously, French actress Léa Seydoux was also a part of Cronenberg’s film, but she stepped down from the project. Recently, during an interview with IndieWire, she revealed why she had dropped out of the project. Seydoux said, “I loved working with David [Cronenberg]. I love him. I’m a huge fan, but then I thought, first of all, I was a bit tired. I wanted to have a break. Maybe I thought two French actors speaking English, it’s weird.” She added. “The script is great, [but] I wanted to have some time for myself.”

Seydoux was replaced by Diane Kruger in the film.

David Cronenberg is a celebrated filmmaker known as the principal originator of the body horror genre. His films explore visceral bodily transformation, infectious diseases, and the intertwining of the psychological, physical, and technological. He is indeed the master of the genre and is known for exploring these themes through sci-fi horror films such as Shivers (1975), Scanners (1981), Videodrome (1983), and The Fly (1986).