Paul Schrader to Continue ‘Man in A Room' Trilogy With ‘The Basics of Philosophy'

Back in 2023, after a string of health issues, Paul Schrader insinuated that he had “one more” film left in him. And yet, here we are, and he’s not just premiered a new film at Cannes but has also lined up two more projects.

Firstly, Schrader is set to shoot “Non-Compos Mentis” in November, a film about “sexual obsession” which is also being described as a noir. The film, budgeted at $5M, will shoot in New York, and will be about “two brothers, their demented mother, a younger girl they both fall in love with, and their wives.”

Schrader confirmed he has cast the parts of the two brothers, and would not reveal who they were, but did mention that they were well-known actors.

Speaking at the Sarajevo Film Festival, Schrader is now saying he’s already set up his next project after that one. The film is called “The Basics Of Philosophy,” for which he has written an outline and aims to write a script in the next three months.

I’ve got to do a very quick rewrite on [Compos] and I’m hoping before November to write the new one and have another bullet in the gun ready to go.

Schrader said the film is about “an intellectual university philosophy professor”. He added that it will be in the same style as his recent ‘Man in A Room’ trilogy which was composed of “First Reformed,” “The Card Counter,” and “Master Gardener”.

Schrader recently premiered “Oh, Canada,” starring Richard Gere, at Cannes. The good news is that it looks as though his six-decade cinematic journey will not be ending with that film.

Schrader, who just turned 78, has had his fair share of recent health issues. He filmed “The Master Gardener,” with an oxygen tank and, despite being sick, refused to go to a hospital during the last week of production. At the Venice premiere of the film, he cryptically stated that it would be his "last rodeo”.