First Images of David Cronenberg’s ‘The Shrouds’

I love how we have a new David Cronenberg film to look forward to this year.

It’s called “The Shrouds,” and, thanks to Cahiers du Cinema, we have our first look at Cronenberg’s latest. Two images, actually — the other one can be seen below this article. What’s shown are stars Vincent Cassel and Diane Kruger walking through a bizarre, dreamy and eerily-lit graveyard.

The film stars Cassel, Kruger, Guy Pearce, and Sandrine Holt. The film follows Cassel’s innovative businessman, and grieving widower, who builds a device to connect with the dead inside a burial shroud.

Production on “The Shrouds” wrapped on June 19th. It was a four week shoot. At 80 years of age, David Cronenberg is as efficient as ever.

Last year, Kruger revealed that she was playing three roles in "The Shrouds": The wife of Cassel's character, the sister of the wife, and "an avatar, a sort of personal assistant". She added that it's about grief and probably the “most personal film of Cronenberg’s career”, hinting that it’s actually about the recent passing of the legendary filmmaker’s wife:

“We just finished filming it. I think it might be his most personal film, because it talks about him and the passing of his wife […] I was very emotional making it, because I knew it was so close to him and he was a little bit detached because of it. I could feel him being so vulnerable. I hope it’s going to be great.”

The legendary Howard Shore will be composing the music for Cronenberg’s latest. Shore (“The Lord of the Rings”) has composed many of Cronenberg’s films over the last four decades, including “The Fly”, “Videodrome,” “Dead Ringers”, and “A History of Violence.”

Expect this one at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, which is also where Cronenberg premiered his last film, 2022’s “Crimes of the Future.” Cronenberg almost quit making films after 2014’s “Maps to the Stars” only to come back eight years later with ‘Crimes’. “I thought I was finished, but I hope to commit more crimes in the future, by making more films.”