Replacer is scheduled to begin filming in Montreal on September 16. Halsey stars as Proxy, a troubled DJ stranded in the city, while Karl Glusman and Juliette Gariépy have now joined the cast. Avan Jogia directs from a screenplay he co-wrote with Halsey.
That distinction matters. Halsey is not simply being placed in front of the camera: she is helping build the film itself. After appearing in projects including MaXXXine, Replacer will mark her first lead role in a feature.
The signal is coming from underground
Proxy encounters an alluring artist and a group of friends running an underground radio station. Their broadcast is then distorted by a mysterious signal apparently hidden somewhere beneath Montreal's subway system.
From there, Replacer moves away from nightlife drama rather quickly. The sound begins changing the people exposed to it, pushing them toward something increasingly raw, primal and unrecognizable.
Executive producer Lilly Wachowski has characterized the screenplay as a restless collision of horror, thriller and comedy, pointing toward filmmakers including David Cronenberg, Alex Cox, Tony Scott and John Carpenter. Jogia has described his own approach as bright, electric “club horror” tied to a more vulnerable story about belonging and community.
The supporting cast makes the project even more interesting
Juliette Gariépy is a particularly sharp addition. Her performance in Red Rooms was built on controlled ambiguity and an unnerving stillness; placing her inside something as potentially noisy and physical as Replacer creates an intriguing contrast.
Karl Glusman arrives with a filmography that already feels comfortable near this territory, including Love, The Neon Demon, Nocturnal Animals and Watcher. The production has not yet disclosed the characters played by Glusman or Gariépy.
Antoine-Olivier Pilon, Martin Dubreuil, Audrey Roger, Estelle Fournier and Joephillip Lafortune are also part of the ensemble, giving the Montreal production a substantial local component.
Boys Noize is scoring it — which makes almost too much sense
Alex Ridha, better known as Boys Noize, will compose the film's original score. For a story built around a DJ, pirate radio, underground nightlife and an invasive signal, the choice is not exactly difficult to understand.
More importantly, the premise suggests sound itself will function as part of the horror rather than decoration around it. Producer Isabelle Deluce currently lists Replacer as a 2027 project. No precise release date has been announced.
