This is not a drill: Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott have been cast in the film adaptation of Taichi Yamada’s ‘Strangers’

It’s been far too long since RTÉ’s 2020 Comic Relief video that saw the Normal People stars enter the Fleabag confessional booth for the crossover episode straight out of our wildest dreams.

The two cinematic worlds have overlapped a number of times since: Phoebe Waller-Bridge directed the music video for Phoebe Bridgers’ ‘Saviour Complex’, which just so happened to star her beau Paul Mescal. Even more recently, Mescal and Scott were spotted dancing around together at Glastonbury, as you do.

They say that good things come to those who wait, and the news that Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott will star alongside one another in an upcoming film adaptation of Taichi Yamada’s Strangers has truly given us reason to rejoice.

Since taking on the role of Connell Waldron in Sally Rooney’s Normal People, Mescal has shot to stardom, appearing in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Lost Daughter, Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun, and a modern retelling of the musical Carmen.

Prior to becoming a stateside sensation, the now-familiar face of Paul Mescal first graced our screens on a 2018 Denny’s advertisement, and we’ll never forget his performance as Bryan in the on-stage adaptation of Louise O’Neill’s Asking For It at the Abbey Theatre.

Likewise, Dubliner Andrew Scott has been constantly on the up since his standout performance in season two of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag. Taking on roles in the Academy Award winner 1917, Mick Jackson’s Denial, and Netflix’s Black Mirror, Scott’s catalogue seems to be ever-growing.

So, what is Strangers all about?

Loosely based on Taichi Yamada’s award-winning ghost story of the same name, Strangers follows Scott, in the role of screenwriter Adam, as he experiences a chance encounter with his mysterious neighbour Harry (Mescal) on a quiet night in contemporary London.

Puncturing the rhythm of his everyday life, as the pair grow closer, Adam is pulled back to his childhood home. There he discovers that his long-dead parents are both alive and well, and look the exact same age as the day they died, over 30 years ago.

The Crown’s Claire Foy and Rocketman’s Jamie Bell will be taking on the roles of Adam’s parents, with acclaimed filmmaker Andrew Haigh taking the reins of the director’s chair.

Though there is no sign of a release date just yet, we’ve got plenty of time to immerse ourselves in the literary world created by Taichi Yamada before these two Irish heartthrobs take on the starring roles.