DP Emmanuel Lubezki Exits Ang Lee’s ‘Gold Mountain’

A few updates when it comes to Ang Lee’s “Gold Mountain.”

Production begins on May 18. More curiously—and this is bad news—Emmanuel Lubezki is no longer the cinematographer. He’s been replaced by Joshua James Richards, whose credits include three Chloé Zhao films—“Songs My Brother Taught Me,” “The Rider,” and “Nomadland”—all of which were influenced by Lubezki’s photography in his Terrence Malick films.

So, Lee is clearly going for a specific look on “Gold Mountain,” which is set during the dying embers of the American Gold Rush and tells the story of two orphaned Chinese-American immigrants navigating a brutal, unforgiving Western frontier.

The script comes from Korean-American playwright Hansol Jung, best known for her work on Apple TV+’s “Pachinko.” Avy Kaufman, a longtime Lee collaborator, is overseeing casting.

Lubezki’s exit might have to do with scheduling conflicts. “Gold Mountain” was initially slated to begin shooting last August but was delayed by almost a year. The reason? Apparently, producers had failed to meet the deadline for California’s production tax rebates and had to wait until 2026 to apply for the next opportunity.

The result is that Lubezki, a three-time Oscar-winning cinematographer who recently finished work on Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Tom Cruise “Digger,” won’t be able to lens the film.

Still, there’s something comforting about Lee returning to this kind of personal filmmaking. His last few films (“Billy Lynn” and “Gemini Man”) were glossy Hollywood productions, met with mixed reviews and heavy financial losses. “Gold Mountain” seems to be a return to more auteur-driven storytelling for Lee.

The Taiwanese auteur behind “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “Sense and Sensibility,” and “The Ice Storm” has always worked best when exploring cultural dislocation and identity. The story being told in “Gold Mountain” feels right at home.