Pedro Almodóvar will be shooting his first full-length English-language feature in March. The film, set in New York City, is said to be about three female friends.
Now, Almodóvar has been quite hush hush about which actresses he’s cast in the lead roles, to the point where, in every interview, he’s refused to give away any details.
However, recently Tilda Swinton did let it slip that she was part of the film. It makes sense, Swinton starred in Almodóvar’s 2021 short film “The Human Voice.” I’m also now hearing, from one of my sources, that another actress is part of the cast: Julianne Moore. I sadly could not corroborate this intel with a second source, but it’s looking somewhat likely that Moore is indeed part of the film.
So, who might be the third actress? That’s anybody’s guess. The rumors have namechecked actresses like Jessica Chastain, Susan Sarandon, Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Sharon Stone and Meryl Streep.
Almodóvar’s mysterious new film will be titled “The Room Next Door.” So, at least we have a title. Earlier in the year, Almodóvar had confirmed that one of the actresses cast was British and the other two were American, adding that all three were his first choices and that they had all immediately accepted his offer to star in the film.
Although he’s now directed two shorts in English, “The Human Voice” and “Strange Way of Life,” Almodóvar has stated that they were just warm-ups to get him accustomed to directing English-speaking actors.
Almodóvar has had a storied filmmaking career since his 1980 debut “Pepi, Luci, Bom,” his most notable works include “Talk to Her,” “The Skin I Live In,” “Pain and Glory,” “Broken Embraces,” and “Women on the Verge of A Nervous Breakdown.”
As for Moore, she’s coming off “May/December,” and is one of the great actresses of her generation.
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.