Damien Chazelle. There’s a name we’re eagerly awaiting an update on. Some believe that after “Babylon” underperformed commercially and critically, he went to director’s jail — I really don’t — but behind the scenes, he’s been trying to get his next project off the ground.
This summer, after Leonardo DiCaprio dropped out of “Evel Knievel Goes on Tour,” Chazelle had to regroup, with the project now appearing to be on hold, or possibly even scrapped. What would he do next, and when would it shoot?
Chazelle is developing another film — currently untitled — that is set in a prison. Daniel Craig and Cillian Murphy were attached to star in this mysterious project, and now we have a small but promising update.
Justin Hurwitz, Chazelle’s longtime composer, was in Paris this weekend for “La La Land in Concert” and let it slip that not only is the prison movie Chazelle’s next film, but that he’s currently writing the score for it. Additionally, Hurwitz claims it’s the “best script” he’s ever read.
The “prison film” was originally set up at Paramount in April 2024 and described as a mid-budget drama with action elements. A fall 2024 production start was initially planned but later scrapped. It was then supposed to shoot this month, but those plans have clearly been tossed out as well.
Back in fall 2024, Chazelle told Vanity Fair he was juggling two projects and hadn’t yet chosen which one to prioritize. His last film, “Babylon,” struggled commercially, earning $63M globally on a budget just shy of $100M. The losses reportedly cost Paramount around $87M. Interestingly, despite its box office failure, “Babylon” received a much warmer reception in France from both critics and audiences.
Chazelle’s previous directing work includes acclaimed films like “Whiplash,” “La La Land,” and “First Man.” While “Babylon” had its flaws, many, including myself, still view it as an ambitious and electrifying piece of cinema that was unfairly dismissed.
Duffield's "Whalefall," the survival thriller about a diver swallowed by a sperm whale, is heading toward a roughly $7M-ish opening weekend, according to the most recent Saturday update.