Ari Aster's Scapegoat Adds Ella Purnell, Caleb Landry Jones and Samba Schutte

Ella Purnell, Caleb Landry Jones and Samba Schutte are the latest additions to Scapegoat, Ari Aster’s new film for A24. Deadline’s September 25 report says the three have joined the cast, while character details and the film’s logline remain under wraps. Aster is writing and directing, with Lars Knudsen producing through their Square Peg banner.

The current cast picture also needs a date check: Variety described Jacob Elordi as in talks in August, but Deadline’s newer report now lists him, Scarlett Johansson and Jude Law as previously announced cast. The newer wording supports naming them in the current ensemble; it does not disclose when their individual negotiations concluded or which roles any of them will play.

Who Has Joined Scapegoat?

Deadline’s fresh additions are Purnell, Landry Jones and Schutte. The same report names Johansson, Elordi and Law as the earlier announced ensemble. That is more current than the August snapshot in which Elordi was still described as negotiating. It is also narrower than claiming that A24 has issued a complete cast list or that every part has been assigned.

No official character descriptions accompany this announcement. If another actor is reported as circling the project later, that language should remain separate from a confirmed addition until a stronger update follows.

What Is Scapegoat About?

The official logline is still secret. Deadline and Variety note that conflicting descriptions have circulated, ranging from a doctor story to a science-fiction romance or a more conventional drama. Those are competing reports about an undisclosed premise, not three confirmed elements of one plot. Neither a genre label nor a synopsis can be settled from them.

Aster’s past films do not establish that Scapegoat is horror. The new cast report provides no character names, filming date, first footage or explanation of the title.

When Does Scapegoat Release?

Neither the current Deadline report nor an A24 project announcement supplies a release date or window. A 2027 opening, festival premiere or particular distribution plan would therefore be a guess. This page can carry later casting and release updates without creating a second URL for each announcement.

The image above is a 2025 photograph of Aster by Gabriel Hutchinson, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. It is not a still or poster from Scapegoat.

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