Critic-turned-filmmaker Kent Jones’ feature debut, 2019’s “Diane,” was well-received and now he’s set up his sophomore outing. Willem Dafoe and Sandra Huller are set to star in Jones’ “Late Fame,” which is another hot Cannes market package (via Variety).
“Late Fame” was written by Samy Burch (May Burch) and is being produced by Christine Vachon’s Killer Films. Shooting begins this fall in NYC, so expect a 2025 premiere.
The film follows Dafoe as Ed Saxberger, “who wrote a book of poetry a long time ago that no one ever cared about. When a group of young artists rediscover his work, he must reassess his genius. The wild card in the group is Gloria (Hüller), a talented and mercurial theatre actress who toys with affections and who is all set to be admired by Saxberger, this legendary figure from a gritty New York golden age.”
Described as “wickedly ironic and unexpectedly poignant,” the film will examine the “illusory effect of praise on the soul, and the lingering ghostly presence of the past, whether it’s imagined or vividly remembered.”