A24
It’s difficult to think of a more perfect pairing than that of Joaquin Phoenix and Ari Aster. And based on the first trailer for their upcoming film Beau Is Afraid, the reality of the project is going to live up to our expectations for it.
Originally titled Disappointment Blvd., Beau Is Afraid, a surrealist comedy-drama, has been described by Aster as a “decades-spanning surrealist horror film set in an alternate present,” while A24 has described the film as “a twisted odyssey of epic proportions.”
Alongside the Academy Award-winning Phoenix, Beau Is Afraid — produced by A24, who also collaborated with Aster on Hereditary and Midsommar — stars Nathan Lane, Patti LuPone, Amy Ryan, Kylie Rogers, Parker Posey, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Hayley Squires, Michael Gandolfini, Zoe Lister-Jones, and Richard Kind.
Aster, just 36 years old, could put himself in rarified air if Beau Is Afraid is of the same quality as his first two films. Beau Is Afraid certainly looks as though it’s going to have the biggest cinematic scope and commercial reach of all three of his feature films so far, as well.
In addition to Beau Is Afraid, 2023 will also see Phoenix renew his collaboration with Ridley Scott (the pair made Gladiator together over 20 years ago) as he stars as Napoleon Bonaparte in the AppleTV+ film Napoleon. Oscar nominee Vanessa Kirby also stars in the film as Empress Joséphine.
Phoenix is also currently filming the sequel to 2019’s Joker, Joker: Folie à Deux. In addition to Phoenix, the Joker sequel also stars Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, Zazie Beetz, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland, and Harry Lawtey.
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