Michelle Williams Joins Damien Chazelle’s Prison-Set Movie

Damien Chazelle’s untitled prison movie is indeed moving forward. Last time, I reported a March 2026 shoot in Greece had been set up for the film — Daniel Craig and Cillian Murphy are still attached to star.

Now, here’s a major update: Michelle Williams has joined the cast. She’s coming off her Golden Globe win for best actress in a limited series for her acclaimed work in “Dying For Sex.” On the film side, her most notable work includes “Dick,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “Blue Valentine,” “Wendy and Lucy,” “The Fabelmans,” and “Manchester by the Sea.”

I’ve also heard that Linus Sandgren, Chazelle’s go-to DP on “La La Land” and “Babylon,” will be busy around the time Chazelle’s film shoots, he’s lending that ‘Ocean’s’ prequel with Margot Robbie and Bradley Cooper. None other than “The Brutalist” cinematographer Lol Crawley will be cinematographer on Chazelle’s film.

Given that Chazelle’s film is rumored to be inspired by ’70s movies, Crawley’s involvement makes sense. The film, set up at Paramount is a mid-budget drama with action elements. A fall 2024 production start was initially planned but later scrapped. It was then supposed to shoot last fall, but those plans were tossed aside.

Back in October, Justin Hurwitz, Chazelle’s longtime composer, let it slip that not only was the prison movie Chazelle’s next film, but that he was at that time writing the score for it. Additionally, Hurwitz claimed it was the “best script” he’s ever read.

Chazelle’s last film was “Babylon,” which underperformed commercially and critically in late 2022. Ever since 2015’s “Whiplash,” Chazelle has turned into one of the most exciting and unpredictable American filmmakers — someone who refuses to repeat himself and continues to chase ambitious, wildly different visions.

Last summer, Chazelle was set to shoot an Evel Knievel biopic starring Leonardo DiCaprio, but the project was shelved after DiCaprio exited. Chazelle then immediately moved on to a prison movie, which is now confirmed as his next film.