Shell is a black comedy horror film that additionally serves as one thing of a The Handmaid’s Story reunion for its star, Elisabeth Moss. The film was helmed by Max Minghella, who performed Nick in that sequence, as his second directorial effort. Though it premiered in 2024, Shell is now having fun with a large launch, making it Moss’ first post-Handmaid’s Story venture.
The story facilities round Samantha Lake (Moss), a once-loved actor who has discovered herself struggling to remain related. That’s, till she meets with Zoe Shannon (Kate Hudson), a wellness mogul whose choices seem too good to be true. Samantha goes on to find precisely what lies beneath the shiny exterior of Shannon’s firm, Shell.
ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan spoke with Elisabeth Moss in regards to the actor’s work within the darkly humorous Shell. Moss mentioned her collaborative course of with Max Minghella, how the distinctive tone of the film developed, and the way Moss felt about its bigger themes. Shell involves digital platforms and choose theaters October 3.
Elisabeth Moss & Max Minghella Have A Relationship June & Nick May By no means
The connection between June and Nick in The Handmaid’s Story was fraught, to say the least. Fortunately, the connection between the celebs behind these characters is something however. Elisabeth Moss detailed her collaborative course of with Max Minghella, who stepped behind the digital camera to convey Shell to life.
ScreenRant: Shell marks a reunion for you and Max Minghella, and also you directed him in The Handmaid’s Story. How is the dynamic completely different this time round, and what was it like reuniting?
Elisabeth Moss: We simply by no means stopped working collectively. We joined forces on this movie whereas we had been capturing Handmaid’s; he despatched it to me and I fell in love with it and was like, “Sure,” instantly–“Let’s do that collectively.”
Then in fact, there’s at all times a bit little bit of a course of to tug a film collectively, particularly a smaller movie. In order that took its time that it takes, after which it felt like we actually walked from one set the place I used to be directing onto a set the place he was directing. It was very seamless.
We’re shut associates, so we talked very often, and it simply felt like we obtained to hang around. That was sort of the saddest factor once we stopped capturing: we had been like, “Oh, [we’re] not going to hang around daily anymore.” So, it was simply very seamless, actually.
ScreenRant: The film is darkish, it is actual sociopathic, and at occasions there is a little bit of camp, which I like. What did you see in his imaginative and prescient that excited you essentially the most?
Elisabeth Moss: I feel the truth that he wished to have enjoyable with it [and] preserve it entertaining. He is an enormous cinephile. He is seen every little thing, and he’s not a snob. He is seen your AFI, like, “100 Finest Motion pictures” record, however he is additionally large fan of ‘90s movies and campy movies, and that is his wheelhouse.
So, [it was] the truth that he is such a fan of this type of film and this type of story and simply making a film that’s purely enjoyable, entertaining, and visually attention-grabbing. I knew that he may do this, and that was thrilling to me–that he was making one thing that I felt was in his wheelhouse.
Why Shell’s Themes Resonated Deeply WIth Elisabeth Moss
Moss didn’t solely select to star in Shell due to her relationship with Minghella. The actor additionally discovered a lot to narrate to with regards to her experiences in Hollywood over the course of her profession.
ScreenRant: What I actually discovered attention-grabbing too this concept of youth and sweetness, [and how,] for Samantha, it is actually not one thing that is on her thoughts till it is projected onto her. And I am curious simply what message you wished to hold by means of this movie, and the way you’ve got needed to navigate these issues.
Elisabeth Moss: I imply, I have been working on this enterprise for 37 years. I’ve seen loads, and I’ve lived on this time once you would by no means actually see an actress above a sure age on a TV present, getting nominated for one thing, or profitable an Oscar; it simply did not occur.
Fortunately within the final nonetheless a few years, that is actually modified, particularly as I am getting older. I’ve lived my entire profession as a girl on this business with this concept that, “Nicely, it may dry up in some unspecified time in the future [when I’m] above 40.” It was once in all probability 35. And I nonetheless assume that occurs. Sadly, that does occur.
So, for me, [there] was positively one thing [where] I used to be like, “That is tremendous near dwelling.” The entire audition course of, not feeling such as you’re the prettiest lady within the room [and that] everybody’s taller and skinnier than you might be. That is one thing that I’m deeply acquainted with, and I feel quite a lot of us are–women and men.
It is one thing that we’re continuously dealing: this concept [that] we’re not younger sufficient, we’re not fairly sufficient, we’re not skinny sufficient. I feel it is simply so relatable, so I beloved it. I beloved having the ability to dive into these insecurities and be sort of susceptible about that.
Imagine me, once you’re standing subsequent to Kaia Gerber, you simply really feel a sure method and there is nothing you are able to do about it. You are standing subsequent to Kaia Gerber and you are like, “Okay, I positively am not that.” And I appreciated truly having the ability to lean into that and sort of have enjoyable with it.
And I used to be a dancer for a few years, in ballet, in order that’s a complete different ball of wax of comparability, and it is one thing that I like doing. I am the kind of individual that does not like to sit down in hair and make-up. I hate getting my make-up executed.
I’m a girly lady–-I like placing my very own make-up on–however once I’m working, I want to discover wanting a unique method and searching a bit bit extra both regular or tremendous f***ed up, fairly frankly. So for me, that was actually enjoyable–to face that head on.
Shell hits choose theaters and digital platforms on October 3.
- Launch Date
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October 3, 2025
- Runtime
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100 minutes
- Director
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Max Minghella
- Writers
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Jack Stanley
- Producers
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Alicia Van Couvering, Elisabeth Moss, Jamie Bell, Jared Underwood, Norman Golightly, Rene Bastian, Fred Berger, Hal Sadoff, Victor Moyers, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Teddy Schwarzman, John Friedberg, Andrew C. Robinson, Lindsey McManus, Danny Mandel
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Mary Lynn Rajskub
Zoe Shannon