Deadline has confirmed that Baz Luhrmann’s next film will be “Jehanne d’Arc.” Warner Bros is onboard to distribute. Casting is currently underway for the project.
‘Jehanne’ is being described “an epic story about Joan of Arc, the young French peasant who believed God had sent her to lead an army. She believed she would save her country during the Hundred Years War.”
Joan of Arc has been depicted many times onscreen, but there’s been no better depiction than in Carl Theodor Dreyer’s “The Passion of Joan of Arc” which featured an all-timer performance from Maria Falconetti. Other filmmakers who have tackled this story include Roberto Rossellini, Victor Fleming, Luc Besson and, more recently, Bruno Dumont.
Last year, Luhrmann premiered the director’s cut of his much-maligned 2008 epic “Australia” on Hulu. Luhrmann retitled it “Faraway Downs” and turned it into a six-part series. The reviews were just as mediocre as the theatrically released version.
Luhrmann’s last feature was 2022’s Oscar-nominated “Elvis,” a maddening work of art that I wrote played like a “pop-art fever dream.” His other directing credits include “The Great Gatsby,” “Romeo + Juliet,” and “Strictly Ballroom.” In fact, Luhrmann has only directed six films in his 33-year career.