One of the most anticipated movies of not just Cannes, but the ENTIRE YEAR is Jonathan Glazer’s holocaust drama “The Zone of Interest.”
Two weeks ago we had reported that the film had screened for A24 on February 28th. This was indication that it might be ready for Cannes. After all, why else would perfectionist Glazer decide to screen it?
Films tend to be screened for studios for one of two reasons a) they are close to being unveiled or b) to further update the top brass about where the film stands. I really hoped it was the former.
Now, we’re hearing, as of April 7th, that the film is not (yet) part of the Cannes competition lineup. What a downer. Things are still moving at breakneck speed as Cannes boss Thierry Fremaux still screens numerous big titles for his selection.
Glazer is hitting month 18 of the post-production process, with a few minor reshoots along the way. Let’s remember, there was a 24-month timeframe between the 2011 shoot of “Under the Skin” and its 2013 world premiere. That number could get hit again if Glazer opts for Venice instead.
The upcoming holocaust drama might be in Polish and German. This would be the filmmaker’s first non-English film. The parents in “The Zone of Interest” will be played by award-winning actors Sandra Hüller (Toni Erdmann) and Christian Friedel (Amour Fou).
Lukasz Zal (“Cold War”, “Ida”) is credited as the DP here. The film is said to have had 360-Degree Sets with multiple cameras shooting simultaneously. Glazer has also been toying with cuts that included multiple different points of view
Of course, Cannes wouldn’t totally suffer from not having Glazer in their lineup, they already, potentially, have new films from Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson, Yorgos Lanthimos, Alexander Payne, Woody Allen, Alice Rohrwacher and Nuri Bilge Ceylan ready to go. Not to mention the possibilities of Todd Haynes and Jeff Nichols as well.
The entire Cannes lineup is set to be revealed next Thursday.
Edward Berger seems to have settled on what comes next. His Lance Armstrong biopic, starring Austin Butler, is now holding casting calls, with production eyed for January.