Following her Palme d’Or win — and Oscar for Best Original Screenplay — Justine Triet, the French filmmaker behind “Anatomy of a Fall,” has set up her next film, “Fonda,” which will mark her first fully English-language feature.
The cast assembled includes Mia Goth (“Pearl”), Allison Janney (“I, Tonya”), Andrew Scott (“All of Us Strangers”), Frank Dillane (“Urchin”), and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (“Candyman”).
According to Deadline, Goth, who was originally eyed for a supporting role, “impressed Triet so much” that she was offered the lead, with Janney and Scott landing the next major roles. Additional casting is still underway, with a shoot scheduled for spring 2026. Don’t be surprised if Sandra Hüller is added to the lineup.
The first official synopsis reads: “A psychological thriller set in a seemingly idyllic huis clos, Fonda takes us on a vertiginous dive into the shifting limits of a sound mind, as grief and obsession take hold.”
A few months back, I reported that Triet’s film would be set in a psychological facility — a tense, contained “huis clos” (closed-door) drama with crime elements woven through its psychological core. The film further explores the moral and psychological territory Triet has made her own.
The “Fonda” of the title has nothing to so with the legendary Hollywood family, which included Henry, Peter, and Jane, but rather refers to an “institution” central to the story.
Considerable attention has surrounded Triet’s “Anatomy” follow-up, with major Hollywood figures said to be eager to collaborate. Triet confirmed that Steven Spielberg was among those who expressed interest. One possible direction involved adapting Daniel Clowes’ graphic novel “Monica,” a project that reportedly attracted Cate Blanchett as a potential lead. In the end, however, Triet chose “Fonda,” which the producers describe as offering a comparably rich and cerebral thriller landscape to “Anatomy.”
Before “Anatomy of a Fall,” Triet notably directed “Victoria” (2016) and “Sibyl” (2019). This next project will be her fifth feature.
Of course, we all know the rule: take these reactions with a grain of salt rather than treating them as gospel. Still, I will say that the film tested like gangbusters earlier this year, and Lionsgate clearly has confidence.