Gaumont Distribution“Go to hell” is basic. “I hope a beloved cult classic gets an unnecessary remake” is possible. It’s terrifying. And it’s only becoming more prevalent. Case in point: Andrzej Żuławski’s Possession, a cult favorite lauded for its gonzo, manic premise and an arresting lead performance by Isabelle Adjani. Forty-something years after its botched release, Possession is finally starting to reach the audience it’s long deserved. Naturally, that also means that it’s time to reboot it — whether it needs that treatment or not.For what it’s worth, remakes have always been a pillar of the Hollywood machine. Films like A Star Is Born or All Quiet on the Western Front are seemingly born again once every generation, not unlike a classic play. It also helps that this new Possession will be helmed by a rising star in horror, Parker Finn, whose Smile duology ranks among the scariest stories of the decade. When it was announced that he’d be teaming up with Robert Pattinson to remake Żuławski’s magnum opus, it triggered a fierce bidding battle, with every major studio — from A24 to Warner Bros. and Netflix — hoping to scoop up the next Possession. Ultimately, Paramount came out on top. As promising as Pattinson’s involvement might have been, however, he won’t be Finn’s leading man.Margaret Qualley has huge shoes to fill in the new Possession. | MubiAt this year’s Cinema Con, Paramount revealed the official cast for its Possession remake — and Vanity Fair offered a first look at the trio in action. Finn has tapped Margaret Qualley (The Substance) and Callum Turner (Eternity) to portray Anna and Mark, an unhappily married couple whose breakup challenges the very fabric of reality. As the story of the original Possession goes, Mark is a spy who returns home from a clandestine mission, only to learn that his wife would like a divorce. His confusion is nothing compared to Anna’s subsequent mental breakdown: Adjani’s performance is a singular act of total, absorbing mania. Her Anna becomes increasingly erratic and explosive. There are dopplegängers involved. And a sensual tentacle man. It’s all incredibly strange, disturbing, and — as an outlet for Żuławski’s real-life marriage — specific to its director’s lived experience.It’s that specificity that makes a remake of Possession feel so... well, wrong. It’s not that another director can’t have a connection to the material or remake this story in a way that feels personal to them. Qualley has also proven her chops for horror well enough — maybe there’s a chance of her delivering an Adjani-level performance. But it’s the instinct to recreate something singular, rather than a new story, that snags any attempt to justify this new film. Finn teaming up with Qualley could have been a match made in horror heaven; that they’re collaborating on a project nobody asked for sours their potential somewhat. With production full steam ahead, however, the genie’s already out of the bottle. Possession is happening, whether we want it to or not.