Jerzy Skolimowski and Shia LaBeouf’s ‘Angel of Death’ to Start Production Next Month

It looks like Jerzy Skolimowski isn’t done yet. The 87-year-old Polish auteur, whose last film “EO” was a visionary donkey odyssey that stunned audiences at Cannes 2022 and earned him the Jury Prize, is gearing up for his next project.

I previously reported that Skolimowski was prepping, “Angel of Death,” which is backed by the Polish Film Institute. The kicker? Shia LaBeouf wrote the screenplay, and might even star. Skolimowski will direct and produce the film under his Skopia Film banner.

A Production Weekly listing now has the film kickstarting production next week in Poland. This film is actually happening. Cannes 2026 is not out of the question should things move quickly.

Skolimowski and LaBeouf. Not a pairing anyone had on their 2025 bingo card, but one that, strangely, makes a kind of sense. After all, Skolimowski has always danced to the beat of his own drum, and LaBeouf, for all his controversies, remains one of the most unpredictable and committed actors working today.

“Angel of Death” is set during World War II and centers on Dr. Miklos Nyiszli, a Jewish pathologist imprisoned in Auschwitz, who is forced to assist the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele in his horrific medical experiments. The film follows Nyiszli’s internal struggle as he tries to retain his humanity amid unspeakable atrocities.

LaBeouf, for his part, is fresh off a low-budget David Mamet indie (“Henry Johnson”), shot in five days and quietly released online this past May. Otherwise, he’s kept a relatively low profile in recent years, and for years has been shopping around his “Angel of Death” script.

Skolimowski, of course, is no stranger to reinvention. His career, now stretching over five decades, has had its share of ups and downs, but films like “Deep End,” “The Shout,” and “Moonlighting” still stand as milestones of European cinema. More recently, he’s enjoyed a quiet resurgence — particularly in France, where Cahiers du Cinéma has championed his late-period work (“Essential Killing,” Four Nights With Anna,” “11 Minutes”).

Then came “EO” which was proof that Skolimowski still has the vitality and vision of a filmmaker half his age, “Angel of Death” could further solidify this unexpected third act.