Sonja O’Hara and Sebiye Behtiyar to Star in Horror Film The Scorpion Directed by Zachary Allard

Sonja O’Hara and Sebiye Behtiyar have been cast as the leads in the horror film The Scorpion, according to Deadline. The project marks the feature directorial debut of writer-director Zachary Allard, who serves as a development executive at Exile Entertainment.

Exile Entertainment is a management and production company led by Gary Ungar, who represents filmmakers including Guillermo del Toro, Jennifer Kent, and Mathieu Kassovitz.

The story centers on Kit, played by O’Hara, a young woman whose plans to launch a clothing line have stalled. Seeking funds, she takes a job at a cosmetics lab that uses human participants instead of animal testing. The lab involves experiments with perfumes, chemicals, and invasive procedures.

As Kit participates, her financial situation improves, but she experiences disturbing physical and psychological changes. Behtiyar portrays Lizzie, a new recruit at the clinic who bonds with another test subject amid similar transformations. The narrative explores the women's experiences in the experimental environment.

The film is produced by Raechel Zarzynski, Kathy Sue Holtorf, Garrett Recker, and Greg Elam.

Corey Moosa, an Independent Spirit Award winner for Margin Call, serves as executive producer. Cinematography will be handled by Davon Slininger, a camera operator who has worked on films by David O. Russell and Damien Chazelle.

Filming is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles later this year. Allard’s previous scripts have been optioned by Caviar and Endless Media. The project originates from Exile Entertainment.

recently completed work on the body horror film Snare, where she stars alongside Marissa Bode and Greg Tarzan Davis.

Behtiyar received a Gotham Award nomination for Breakthrough Performance in Preparation for the Next Life. Representation details include Behtiyar with UTA and Authentic, and O’Hara with Anonymous Content, Verve, Park Artists, and Fox Rothschild; Allard is represented by Folio Literary Management.

The film’s development highlights ongoing interest in horror genres involving scientific experimentation.

Stakeholders include the production team, cast, and Exile Entertainment, with potential distribution to follow completion. No release date has been announced.