Ari Aster has picked his next original film — and he’s bringing Scarlett Johansson along for the ride.

Aster will direct ‘Scapegoat,’ a new feature based on his own script, with Johansson set to star. The project also reunites Aster with A24, the studio behind his last four films, which is expected to handle distribution.

Aster, whose satire ‘Eddington’ premiered at Cannes last year, will produce alongside longtime collaborator Lars Knudsen through their Square Peg banner. As usual with an Ari Aster movie, the plot is being guarded like a state secret.

Ever since ‘Hereditary’ put him on the map, Aster’s scripts have been the kind of Hollywood material people want to get their hands on early. His work is known for being strange, bold and hard to predict — exactly the kind of thing that tends to get actors and studios curious.

After spending the end of last year writing, Aster landed on ‘Scapegoat’ as his next original project. Johansson was reportedly his top choice from the start, though getting her on board wasn’t exactly simple. The Oscar nominee already has a packed 2026 ahead, including a role in Universal’s next ‘Exorcist’ film and a part opposite Robert Pattinson in the next ‘Batman’ sequel, which is expected to shoot later this summer.

Producers are now planning to shoot later this year in a way that fits around her crowded schedule.

Johansson is coming off a huge 2025. She helped revive the ‘Jurassic World’ franchise with ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth,’ which hit theaters in July and went on to earn $868 million worldwide. A sequel is already in development.

She also stepped behind the camera for the first time with ‘Eleanor’ the Great, a Sony Pictures Classics drama that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Next, she’ll be seen in James Gray’s ‘Paper Tiger,’ starring opposite Miles Teller and Adam Driver — set to premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

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