EXCLUSIVE: Principal photography has begun in New Orleans on Ana Lily Amirpour’s Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon, with Korean actress Jun Jong-Seo, the breakout from Cannes 2018 hit Burning, making her English-language debut alongside previously announced Kate Hudson (Almost Famous) and Craig Robinson (This Is The End) and newly cast Ed Skrein (Deadpool) and Evan Whitten (Mr. Robot).

Amirpour, director of A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and The Bad Batch, is helming from her screenplay. The fantasy-adventure tells the story of a girl with unusual and dangerous powers who escapes from a mental asylum and tries to make it on her own in New Orleans.

Oscar winner John Lesher (Birdman) and Dylan Weathered (The Beach Bum) are producing through Le Grisbi Productions, with Adam and Robbie Mirels producing for 141 Entertainment (Ingrid Goes West). Black Bicycle’s Erika Olde and Sam Roseme, Wiip’s Luke Rodgers, and Rocket Science’s Thorsten Schumacher are executive producing.

CAA Media Finance reps domestic rights, with Rocket Science handling international.

“It is an honor to be working with Lily, a truly unique and visionary filmmaker, and I want to especially thank Roeg Sutherland and Luke Rodgers for going the extra mile to get this movie made,” said Lesher.

The film reunites Amirpour with set designer with Brandon Tonner-Connolly (The Big Sick) and costume designer Natalie O’Brien (Honey Boy), both of whom she collaborated with on Bad Batch. O’Brien also worked with Amirpour her Sundance debut.

The creative team also includes cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski (Hereditary) and editor Louise Ford (The Witch). Mike Upton, who executive produced John Wick, will serve as the line producer. Zac Efron was previously attached in the Skrein role.

As we previously revealed, Amirpour is set to follow this movie with the female-led reboot of Cliffhanger.