Some believed that Oliver Hermanus’ “The History of Sound,” starring Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor, might crash this year’s fall festival circuit, but a report (via Awards Watch) has Hermanus completely nixing that idea.
On Friday, Hermanus was being honored by the Critics Choice Association for his work in the STARZ limited series, “Mary & George,” and 2022’s “Living,” an “Ikiru” remake which earned Bill Nighy an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
“Venice asked for it but it’s not ready,” Hermanus said. “We have a lot of score to create, Paul [Mescal] and Josh [O’Connor] sing in it, and it’s all about sound,” he continued, with a laugh. He went on to add that they are aiming for a Cannes 2025 debut instead.
I say, good luck to Hermanus and company, but I just can’t see the Cannes selection committee going for a film like this. Not that it won’t be a good film, but it sounds more up the alley of a Venice or TIFF premiere. I’d bet on it premiering in the fall of 2025.
“The History of Sound” is what you might call a prestige pic, or Oscar bait, as it’s based on a Prize-winning short story by Ben Shattuck. This is being dubbed an “historical romantic drama” about two men, Lionel (Mescal) and David (O’Connor), who fall in love while traveling together to record the stories and songs of their countrymen during World War I.
In an interview with Variety, Hermanus said, “This is an unexpected love story that needs to be told — it is a journey through the life of America, across the 20th century and the traditions of American folk music, all seen through the bond between two men immersed in the history of sound.”
After much delay, due to covid and the strikes, “The History of Sound” wrapped production this April. It is currently in post-production and it sounds like its status won’t change for many months to come, maybe well into next year.