We were wondering what James Gray might be up to — he’s had a few projects percolating in development, including a ghost story and a JFK biopic. However, Gray’s next film won’t be either of those.
Gray is set to direct “Paper Tiger,” which will star Adam Driver, Jeremy Strong and Anne Hathaway, and is headed to AFM next week for sales. Five of Gray’s films have competed for the Palme d’Or, and it wouldn’t be surprising if this one ends up at Cannes 2026.
The story is set to follow two brothers who pursue the American Dream—only to become entangled in a scheme that turns out to be too good to be true. As they try to navigate their way through an ever-more dangerous world of corruption and violence, they find themselves and their family brutally terrorized by the Russian “Mafiya.” Their bond begins to fray, and betrayal—once utterly unthinkable—now becomes all too possible.
“Paper Tigers” is set to begin production in early 2025.
Based on Gray’s original screenplay, the film is set to reunite Gray with his “Armageddon Time” stars Hathaway and Strong. This will be Driver’s first collaboration with Gray, and yet another A-list filmmaker he’s decided to work with.
Gray, 53, is a filmmaker with passionate supporters, and has the kind of classicist filmmaking style that feels like a relic of the past. However, critics, especially the French, absolutely love him and that’s why he’s continued to make films all of these years.
The Queens-born filmmaker makes movies plucked out of time. Watching something like “Two Lovers” or “Lost City of Z,” a mysterious beauty is achieved, the kind of cinematic bliss that reminds us why we love movies so much.
Criterion's December lineup has some great additions to the library, but the title that jumped out at me is Werner Herzog's "Grizzly Man," which officially joins the Collection on December 8.