Here’s a first look at “Next Life,” the next film from Drake Doremus—whose name will always be tied to the burst of indie-romantic energy he unleashed with his 2011 breakout, “Like Crazy.”
The film stars Emilia Clarke as Ivy, a jazz singer navigating two distinct lives across parallel realities, and Édgar Ramírez as one half of her multiverse love story. The setting is London’s underground jazz scene.
Ivy’s life splits into two or more realities. In one, she pursues music and meets Diego; in another, she reconnects with Noah, a past love whose future she glimpses. Production took place in London in December 2024, and the international sales company Rocket Science is already presenting the film ahead of bigger markets.
Clarke and Ramírez aren’t just acting musicians—they became musicians for the movie, recording original material together. Clarke recorded recorded an entire album with Ramírez for the film. Composer Dan Romer, who reunites with Doremus after past collaborations, is signed on for the score.
I would bet a Sundance 2026 premiere is in the works for this one. If not, then where else would it go? SXSW? Toronto? Doremus desperately needs some kind of boost to recapture the spark of “Like Crazy.”
Doremus burst into the scene with his Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner “Like Crazy,” a raw long-distance love story that remains his only good film. Since then, Doremus has released dud after dud. “Equals” (2015) was billed as a bold sci-fi romance but proved to be an utter disappointment. “Newness” (2017) was a poor attempt at tackling millennial open relationships. “Endings, Beginnings” (2019) likewise handled a romantic triangle in cliched fashion.
The stakes for “Next Life” are therefore high. It’s Doremus’ first film in over six years, and he needs to recapture the magic to regain some form of critical clout; otherwise, his career might be doomed. This might very well be his last chance.