Albert Serra’s much-delayed English-language debut “Out of This World” has wrapped production and is now seemingly poised to premiere at Cannes next year.
Originally announced back in December 2023, the film was supposed to star Kristen Stewart, but she was suddenly replaced by Riley Keough this summer. According to Serra, Stewart had initially signed on but backed out after the filmmaker made changes to the script. “She changed her mind,” Serra explained, adding that the new direction of the film didn’t sit well with the actress.
Keough, granddaughter of Elvis Presley, has carved a path in Hollywood with roles in films such as “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “American Honey,” “Zola,” and “Sasquatch Sunset.” She also won the Camera d’Or at Cannes 2022 for her directorial debut “War Pony.”
“Out of This World,” which tackles U.S.-Russia tensions during the ongoing Ukraine conflict, follows an American delegation sent to Russia to resolve an economic dispute tied to sanctions. Serra describes it as a film exploring “the eternal rivalry between Russia and the USA.”
Joining Keough in the ensemble cast are F. Murray Abraham, Liza Yankovskaya and Birte Von Knoblauch. No other actors have been mentioned just yet, but expect more to be announced soon.
Serra’s recent work has gained momentum. After the Cannes breakout “Pacifiction” in 2022, the Spanish auteur returned with the fantastic “Afternoons of Solitude,” a meditative bullfighting documentary that took the top prize at San Sebastian. Before that, his films “The Death of Louis XIV” and “Liberté” marked him as one of the more uncompromising voices in European cinema—arthouse to the core, but impossible to ignore.
With “Out of This World,” Serra looks poised to finally break through to a wider international audience.