Every once in a while, I get asked about the status of Leos Carax’s next film, but given the secretive nature of the French filmmaker, not much info has leaked out—until today.
An official announcement has been made: Jenna Ortega has been cast as the lead in Carax’s upcoming seventh feature film, “Lily May B,” which is scheduled to begin shooting next spring.
The story follows a little girl, a young woman, and a young boy who each carry painful secrets. Set in a bleak “end-of-the-world” landscape, the trio travels together on a motorcycle through abandoned cities, empty highways, and ancient forests while searching for identity, survival, and possibly a place where they belong.
Carax described the project in his typically poetic and mysterious style, saying, “Once upon a time, this is what destroyed us, and this is what kept us alive.”
Last year, there was a casting call in October for a Carax film starring Adam Driver and Léa Seydoux. I have no idea if this is the same project. A few days ago at Cannes Film Festival, Driver confirmed his participation in Carax’s next film, but he wasn’t mentioned in today’s press release.
Carax, ever the slow burner, has only made six features since his 1984 debut, Boy Meets Girl. His credits include Mauvais Sang (1986), The Lovers on the Bridge (1991), Pola X (1999), Holy Motors (2012), and, of course, Annette (2021), which opened the Cannes Film Festival and won him the festival’s Best Director prize.
A new Carax film doesn’t come often. When it does, the world of cinema tends to stop and pay attention.
Ortega, star of Netflix’s “Wednesday,” was recently seen in “Death of a Unicorn,” “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” and the Sundance-premiered “The Gallerist.” She also has J.J. Abrams’ “The Great Beyond” hitting theaters this November, and possibly Taika Waititi’s much-delayed “Klara and the Sun.”