David Robert Mitchell Officially Out of “Director's Jail" — Starts Production on ‘Flowervale Street'

The headline over at The Film Stage is that David Robert Mitchell has been “finally released from director’s jail”. The reason for this statement is that Mitchell just started production on his first film in over 6 years.

Mitchell isn’t shooting the recently announced sequel to “It Follows”, aptly titled “They Follow|, but, rather, his $85 million Warner Bros. film, currently titled “Flowervale Street,” which has been described as am ‘80s-set “thrill ride,” potentially being shot with IMAX cameras.

The film, backed by Bad Robot and Jackson Pictures, stars Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, who play parents to Christian Convery (14) and Maisy Stella (20). No further details have been revealed. When the project was announced, it had been reported that “Flowervale Street” might be a dinosaur movie, but, thank the heavens, McGregor very recently shot down that rumor.

“Well, I don’t know where they’re getting dinosaurs from,” the actor recently told Collider. “That may or may not be the case. But no, I like [David Robert] very much, this film director, and I like very much the idea of working with Anne Hathaway. I’ve got a feeling that I think the two of us as parents will be… Yeah, I’m trying not to say anything. I’ve spoiled that part. We’re both parents. It’s gonna be fun, I think. It’s difficult to say more about it without saying anything about it. I think you’ve got to take everything with a pinch of salt that you read online at the moment, you know what I mean?”

As mentioned, Mitchell’s last film was “Under the Silver Lake,” which premiered in competition, and to polarizing reviews, at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018. Its release was then delayed, a few times, by A24 before finally, quietly, appearing in theaters nearly a year later — it ended up grossing a little less than $50,000 domestically.

A passionate cult following ensued for “Under the Silver Lake,” with even the creation of a popular subreddit group still trying to figure out the film’s mysteries, almost six years since its Cannes premiere. It was a fascinating exercise in atmosphere and tension — Mitchell is one of the few directors out there who can capture what dreams really feel like.

Mitchell’s best film, 2015’s “It Follows,” was a Cannes-championed statement that is still one of the best offerings of the horror genre of the last decade. Last year, it was announced that “It Follows” would be getting a sequel, titled “They Follow,” with Mitchell back in the director’s chair. Actress Maika Monroe would also star in the lead role. That one is still in development.