Copyright Deadline
EXCLUSIVE: Noomi Rapace and Millicent Simmonds have been unveiled for the cast of Vasilisa Kuzmina’s near future horror thriller No Man’s Land as Goodfellas gears up to launch sales at the AFM next week. Billed as a dystopian thriller with elements of The Handmaid’s Tale and the ritualistic tension of Midsommar, the feature is lead produced by Spain’s AF Films. Rapace stars as Magda, the enigmatic and resilient leader of an entirely female-led community she built in the wake of a devastating civil war. Wonderstruck breakout, A Quiet Place star and deaf representation trailblazer Simmonds will play Elle, a devoted follower in Magda’s cause. The feature opens as Magda’s son returns from the front to this world without men, with his arrival stirring a growing unease among the group. As the women’s hostility mounts and unimaginable violence begins to unfold, he comes to fear that the truth about what they’ve built — and what they’ve done to protect it — may cost him his life. The film draws inspiration from real events in Hungary between the 1910s and 1920s, when a tightly knit group of women in a small village, led by a charismatic figure known as Auntie Suzy, began murdering their abusive husbands in an effort to reclaim control of their lives. Known as the “Angel Makers of Nagyrév”, the group killed between 50 and several hundred men. Rapace arrives on the project fresh from her critically acclaimed performance as Mother Theresa in Macedonian director Teona Strugar Mitevska’s Mother. The actress, best known for her portrayal of Lisbeth Salander in the Millennium trilogy, beginning with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, has previously tackled the horror genre with films such as Lamb, while upcoming films include Agnieska Smoczynska’s Hot Spot and The End of It alongside Rebecca Hall and Gael Garcia Bernal. No Man’s Land is Kuzmina’s second feature after Nika, which had a buzzy premiere at SXSW 2022 in the Narrative Feature Competition, securing Special Jury Recognition for Breakthrough Performance. The filmmaker and screenwriter of Russian Iranian descent made her directorial debut with the web series Alisa, which premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in 2020 in the Pilot Competition Program. No Man’s Land is set to begin shooting in English in Spain in April 2026. Juliana Lubin is producing with Frank Ariza’s AF Films in association with Boom Films and Rapace, who also serves as executive producer. Lubin has previously taken executive producer credits on The Crow, Chief of Station as well as the upcoming Return to Silent Hill and At the Sea. AF Films, which is also distributing in Spain, is known for features such as Above and Below with Antonio Banderas, Last Days, El Vestido, La Silla, Fragmentos, and series like Perdóname Señor and Mariachis. The company has worked with Capstone Studios, Louverture Films, Atlas Entertainment, Disney, Amazon, Netflix, MGM, HBO Max, and Match Point in the past. “Producing No Man’s Land has been one of the most ambitious and creatively fulfilling experiences of my career. At AF Films, we’ve built a legacy of producing stories that challenge audiences while showcasing the depth of European cinema — and this film is no exception,” said Ariza. “Shooting in Spain allows us to bring authenticity and atmosphere to Vasilisa’s powerful vision, blending striking artistry with emotional truth. It’s a project that pushes boundaries, unites remarkable talent, and reflects exactly the kind of daring, world-class filmmaking we’re proud to champion.” Kuzmina is represented by Gersh Agency (Alana Duthie) and Zero Gravity Management (Aleksey Ageyev).
