LaKeith Stanfield Exits Paramount's Molepeople, Ben Wheatley Takes the Director's Chair

LaKeith Stanfield has left the cast of Molepeople, the horror thriller from Paramount, and the film has a new director. Deadline reported on 28 October 2026 that Ben Wheatley will direct the film, replacing Rob Savage.

Savage left the project because of scheduling conflicts. He was first announced as the director in October 2024, two years before his exit. No reason has been given for Stanfield's departure.

The film follows a man who climbs down into abandoned tunnels beneath New York City and finds a twisted society living under the streets. Nathan Elston wrote the script, and he is also listed as an executive producer. Ben Mendelsohn remains attached to the project.

Blumhouse Atomic Monster and Paramount Primal are co-financing and co-producing the film. Co-financing means the two companies share the cost of making it. Jason Blum, J.D. Lifshitz, Raphael Margules and James Harris are producing. Ryan Turek, Tracy Rosenblum, Rob Savage and Nathan Elston are executive producers, a credit that usually signals a role in arranging money and overseeing the project rather than running the shoot day to day.

Paramount is set to release Molepeople worldwide on August 27, 2027. That date is about ten months after the news of the director change. Changes in key creative roles can move a film's schedule, but the studio's current plan is still the August 2027 date.

For a film that is still well over a year from cinemas, a change of director and lead actor is one of the more common shifts in the early life of a project. The new lineup and the release plan are the details to watch as the film moves into production.