After receiving mixed-to-positive results from his English-language debut, “Louder Than Bombs” earlier this year, director Joachim Trier (“Oslo, August 31st”) is ready to return back home to his natural tongue for his next project. But that doesn’t mean he’s playing it safe this time around.
READ MORE: The 20 Best Breakout Films From The Cannes Directors’ Fortnight
The Norwegian director jumps into genre filmmaking with “Thelma,” and according to producer Thomas Robsham, it’ll be “an exciting new departure” for the dramatic filmmaker. To be more specific, this new film is a romantic supernatural thriller, following a young woman unaware that she possess frightening powers. Sounds like some pretty typical stuff, right? But under Trier’s unique perception and specifically realistic character work, expect something a little out-of-the-ordinary. And, hopefully, something pretty special too. While Trier took around three-to-four years between making his last two features, things are coming around much quicker this time around.
Production on the new film is scheduled to begin this autumn, with casting now underway and producers making their rounds at Cannes to win potential investors for its planned fall 2017 release. The often-patient director is certainly not wasting any time here, and with hopes to finish the film around next spring, it’s likely this one will end up screening during next year’s festivities — especially with “Louder Than Bombs” and ‘Oslo’ making their premieres during their respective years.
And though Trier’s fourth film will find the director getting out of his comfort zone in a number of different ways, some things will stay the same. Namely, Eskil Vogt helped co-write the new screenplay, Jakob Ihre will once again lens the film and editor Olivier Bugge Coutté will once again string it all together once the time comes. All three have worked with Trier since his first film, 2006’s “Reprise,” so why break up a good thing if it’s still working, right? Additional details are minor at the moment, but we’ll definitely keep an eye out for this one. Whether or not his last film met your approval or not, Trier is a rising filmmaker to watch for. So the results here should be nothing short of interesting, and hopefully a little spooky too. [Screen Daily]