Hot off his tour-de-force turn inJoker, Joaquin Phoenixis set to star in an untitled drama from acclaimed indie filmmaker writer-directorMike Millsthat is poised to land at A24, Collider has confirmed.
Plot details remain under wraps, and production is slated to this fall, which means it will be the first film Phoenix shoots afterJoker, the gritty DC movie fromTodd Phillipsthat has been winning raves from festival critics, and earned its lead the Best Actor prize at the Venice Film Festival.
Former Annapurna executiveChelsea Barnardis producing alongsideLila YacoubandAndrea Longacre-White, who served as an associate producer on Mills' most recent film,20th Century WomenstarringAnnette Bening,Elle Fanning,Greta GerwigandBilly Crudup.
I’m a fan of all three of Mills' films, including his feature debutThumbsuckerand his follow-upBeginners, which wonChristopher Plummerhis Oscar, but I can’t say I trulyloveany of them. They’re allsolid. He’s a solid filmmaker. But I think this pairing with Phoenix, who has the world at his feet on the heels ofJoker, is his best opportunity yet to really hit a home run, and I say that without even knowing what the premise is. Because it almost doesn’t matter. Phoenix and a pending deal to reunite with20th Century Womendistributor A24 is one hell of a start.
Phoenix is said deliver a tour-de-force performance inJoker, which hits theaters on Oct. 4, and is slated to take in nearly $90 million its opening weekend. The actor is a three-time Oscar nominee thanks to his turns inGladiator,Walk the LineandThe Master, though it’s funny, those aren’t the movies I think of when I think of Joaquin Phoenix. Nope, I’m not even talking aboutYou Were Never Really HereorInherent Viceor his work withJames Gray. No, when I think of Joaquin, I think of his early work inTo Die ForandParenthoodandSigns, as well asThe Sisters Brothersand his wonderful turn inSpike Jonze’s four-star classicHer. I’d also go out on a limb and recommend the underrated dramaReservation Road, if you haven’t seen that film, which pairs him with the similarly-giftedMark Ruffalo.
The point is, Phoenix is one of the most talented actors on the planet, and his casting is a major coup for Mills' movie, especially at this point in his career. Mills is no slouch himself, coming off an Oscar nomination for writing20th Century Women. He’s represented by UTA, while Phoenix is repped by WME. The news was first reported by Deadline.
