As it stands, Todd Solondz’s best films were his first three: 1996’s “Welcome to the Dollhouse,” 1998’s “Happiness” and 2001’s “Storytelling.” They were darkly twisted satires on modern American life that defied the boundaries of socially acceptable behavior.
In November, I wrote that Solondz’s next project, “Love Child,” would star Elizabeth Olsen with a Spring shoot scheduled for production. Deadline is now confirming Olsen’s casting, but also adds that Charles Melton (May December) will be co-lead in the film.
The film has long been in development and, originally, Rachel Weisz and Colin Farrell were attached to it, but it now takes a new form. The plot details that have emerged for “Love Child” make it sound like a film that fits perfectly in Solondz’s deranged wheelhouse:
The story follows 11-year-old Junior, a delusional aspiring Broadway star with an inappropriate obsession with his mother (Olsen). After orchestrating an accident that nearly kills his abusive father, he encourages the handsome man living in the family’s guesthouse to court his mother and become his new dad. But when the two fall in love, Junior becomes so jealous that he is no longer the subject of his mother’s attention that he hatches a plan to frame the man for his father’s murder.
In a recent interview with RTL, Solondz says he left his teaching gig at New York University to make this film.
I don’t want to get into it right now, the stress is overwhelming, but I will be shooting something very soon. I think it’s going to be a fun film. My most audience-friendly, as far as I can be “audience-friendly” and ”commercial”.
“It’s fun and it’s sexy and it’s shaped by the Hollywood movies that made me want to become a filmmaker,” Solondz said of the film a few years ago.
Production is expected to begin this Spring, either in March or April 2024, in NYC. “Love Child” is set to be Solondz’ first film since 2016’s “Wiener-Dog.” Hopefully, it’s better than his last few (“Dark Horse,” “Life During Wartime”). Solondz is a filmmaker that we should always be keeping an eye out for.
It looks like “Love Child” could be released in 2025, that’s nine years since his last film and nearing the 30th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut “Welcome to the Dollhouse.”
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.