Could one of the most fascinating creative pairings in modern cinema be coming back together? According to new reports (via Reddit and World of Reel), filmmakers Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman are in early discussions to collaborate on a mysterious new film project. While details are scarce—and the reunion may still be in the exploratory stage—it would mark the first time the two have worked together in more than two decades.
Jonze and Kaufman, of course, are responsible for two of the most acclaimed and surreal films of the late ’90s and early 2000s: “Being John Malkovich” (1999) and “Adaptation” (2002). Both earned Kaufman Oscar nominations and cemented Jonze’s reputation as one of the most distinctive visual stylists of his generation. After their collaborations, Kaufman began directing his own features, including “Synecdoche, New York” (2008) and “Anomalisa” (2015), while Jonze turned to a mix of shorts, documentaries, and commercial work.
It’s been 12 long years since Jonze last directed a narrative feature—2013’s futuristic romance “Her”—but the filmmaker has hardly been idle. In the years since, he’s directed the 2020 documentary “Beastie Boys Story,” made numerous shorts (including “Welcome Home” and “The Tiger”), crafted commercials like the deliriously kinetic “Kenzo World” spot starring Margaret Qualley, and turned out a steady stream of music videos for Arcade Fire, Coldplay, and others. He also spent several years as co-president and creative leader at Vice Media’s Viceland cable network and nearly mounted an ambitious sci-fi series for Netflix before the streamer reportedly pulled the plug due to budget concerns.
Meanwhile, Kaufman remains as unpredictable as ever. The writer-director recently appeared at the Mostra de São Paulo Film Festival in Brazil to present his new short, “How to Shoot a Ghost,” co-directed with poet Eva H.D. (read our interview with Kaufman here). He hasn’t made a feature since 2020’s “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” and his latest attempt—“Later the War,” a project starring Eddie Redmayne and Tessa Thompson—collapsed earlier this year in Serbia when financing fell through just before production was set to begin. Kaufman recently said, however, that his producers are still trying to revive it.
At the same festival event, Kaufman also discussed an in-development collaboration with Polish cinematographer Michał Dymek, known for shooting “EO” and the upcoming “The Girl with the Needle.” He confirmed the existence of an AI-themed project he had once been writing for Bennett Miller (“Moneyball,” “Capote”), but admitted he ultimately dropped out after struggling to make sense of the subject matter. “Trying to write about AI scared me,” he reportedly said. “I couldn’t make sense of the material, so I dropped the project.”
Beyond film, Kaufman revealed he’s working on a follow-up novel to his 2020 book “Antkind.” The new story, he said, centers on an actor writing a book about acting—an idea that sounds as perfectly metatextual as anything in his screenwriting canon. He also told The Film Stage that he’d be open to publishing the screenplay for his infamous, zany, and unmade musical, “Frank or Francis,” a cult favorite among script collectors.
Whether the rumored Jonze–Kaufman reunion becomes a reality remains to be seen. But given their shared knack for surreal, self-aware storytelling, even the possibility of the two reteaming after 20 years is enough to send cinephiles into a spiral of hope—and existential dread—in equal measure.
Rodrigo Perez is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Playlist, which he launched in 2007. He has worked in entertainment journalism since 2000, including at MTV, and has written for SPIN, IndieWire, Pitchfork, Complex, Magnet, and various music, film, and entertainment publications over the past two decades.
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