What has Damien Chazelle been up to?
Back in April, Chazelle set up his supposedly next film with Paramount, this one rumored to take place in a prison. It was described as a “mid-budget” drama with action elements. He was supposed to shoot it this fall, but it never happened — did he suddenly get cold feet?
A few months later, Chazelle told Vanity Fair that he was now working on two projects, and didn’t know which one was going to get made first.
We now have an idea what that second project might be. According to Daniel Richtman, who might have seen a production grid for this one, Chazelle is going to be directing an Evil Knievel biopic for Paramount. Not just that, Leonardo DiCaprio is attached to star in it. William Monahan (“The Departed”) wrote the script.
Knievel was an American stunt performer, and entertainer, known for his motorcycle jumps (and bad temper). During his stunt career, Knievel suffered more than 433 bone fractures, earning an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the survivor of "most bones broken in a lifetime.”
Knievel ruined his career when he attacked a man with a baseball bat due an unflattering book written about him. The victim was knocked unconscious and needed major surgery to repair his arm. Knievel served 6 months in jail, but lost all his endorsements and contracts.
Chazelle’s last film, “Babylon,” tanked at the box-office, making $63 million against a production budget of a little under $100 million. “Babylon” ultimately lost Paramount an estimated $87 million. Oddly enough, it was a huge hit in France, with both critics and audiences.
Earlier this year, Chazelle had mentioned almost being done writing a new script and that, although he was about to pitch it to a studio, an uncertainty lingered in his head as to how Hollywood would welcome him back into fold after “Babylon.” However, with someone like DiCaprio attached to star, it’s not that surprising to see that Paramount is greenlighting the project. If you remember, DiCaprio was originally supposed to star in Chazelle’s “Babylon” before having to drop out due scheduling issues. He was later replaced by Brad Pitt.
DiCaprio recently wrapped shooting Paul Thomas Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” which is currently set up for August 2025 theatrical release.
Nobody expected a 55-year-old NC-17 movie to be one of the surprise box office stories of the fall. Yet here we are, and this absolutely puts a smile on my face.