Sean Byrne doesn't make a lot of movies, and when he does, they hurt. The Australian director behind The Loved Ones, The Devil's Candy, and last year's Cannes shark-attack standout Dangerous Animals is back with a new one — and the cast is loaded. The Mannequin pairs Oscar winner Melissa Leo with Riverdale star Lili Reinhart in what Byrne is calling a "twisted, intense, and propulsive serial killer procedural." Cameras are rolling this summer.
What It's About
The Mannequin is built as a two-hander. Reinhart plays Charley, a Chicago cop and young mother who relocates her family to a small town hoping for a safer life. That plan falls apart fast when violent abductions start hitting the area. Charley teams up with Sadie, the town's hardened police chief played by Leo, and the two are dragged into a fast-escalating manhunt for a predator — a chase that the studio promises builds to a shocking twist. Byrne describes it as "an original, violent and blistering high-stakes thriller," which is about as on-brand as it gets for the guy who made The Loved Ones.
The Byrne Track Record
If you know Byrne's work, you know exactly why horror fans are paying attention. The Loved Ones (2009) became a cult favorite and took the Midnight Madness People's Choice Award at TIFF. The Devil's Candy (2015) is one of the most underseen heavy-metal horror gems of the last decade. And Dangerous Animals premiered in the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes in 2025. The man builds dread you can feel in your teeth, and a serial-killer two-hander between two strong leads is exactly the kind of pressure cooker he thrives in.
Who's Behind It
The Mannequin is the latest from Studiocanal's new genre label Sixth Dimension. Byrne writes and directs, with William Woods and Maddy Falle producing for Page 12 Pictures Inc. Both Leo and Reinhart are also on board as producers. Studiocanal is releasing theatrically across its own territories — the UK, France, Germany, Benelux, Poland, Australia and New Zealand — while Elevation Pictures has Canada.
When You'll See It
Production runs in North Bay, Ontario, with filming set between late June and the end of July 2026. No release date is locked yet, and there's no trailer out — but a Byrne serial-killer movie with Melissa Leo and Lili Reinhart squaring off is firmly on the watch list. We'll be tracking it. Keep it locked to the Vault.