Michael Fassbender Set to Star in Brady Corbet’s ‘The Origin Of the World’ — His 4-Hour, X-Rated Western

After Selena Gomez, another casting update has arrived for Brady Corbet’s next film, tentatively titled “The Origin of the World.”

Michael Fassbender is set to star in the film, which is currently in pre-production, with a 50-day shoot slated for Portugal and South Africa.

Fassbender, a great actor known for being very selective about the roles he chooses, took a four-year break from acting at the end of the last decade, only to return in 2023 with three films in three years: “The Killer,” “Kneecap,” and “Black Bag.” His participation in Corbet’s film is exciting.

The script for “The Origin of the World” is said to be 200 pages, whereas “The Brutalist,” which ran 3.5 hours, was around 150 pages. Corbet has reportedly said this next film will be “four hours long and X-rated.” He also plans to shoot it on 65mm film.

Corbet confirmed the western would tackle Northern California immigration and span 150 years — from the 19th century into the present day — though it is predominantly focused on the 1970s. In a recent interview, he added that it would explore “American mysticism and the history of the occult in America,” and that he has been working with occult historian Mitch Horowitz.

This will mark Corbet’s fourth feature following “The Childhood of a Leader,” “Vox Lux,” and “The Brutalist,” the latter of which earned 10 Oscar nominations and won three, including Best Actor (Adrien Brody), Best Cinematography (Lol Crawley), and Best Original Score (Daniel Blumberg). Blumberg is returning to score “The Origin of the World.” There is no word yet on whether Crawley — who is currently lensing Damien Chazelle’s new film in Greece — will be able to return.

No studio is currently attached, though A24, Neon, or Mubi seem like plausible contenders to acquire it. Regardless, the film could be ready in time for a 2027 release.