All it took was the announcement that Joaquin Phoenix was going to team up with director Mike Mills on a new film for that untitled project to land in our Most Anticipated Films of 2020 list. When you have an actor coming off his Oscar-winning performance collaborating with one of the most respected filmmakers working today, that’s plenty to get our attention. Well, thankfully, it appears that the studio behind the project, A24, is ready to enter the next phase of the film, as distribution will be lined up soon, with a release date later this year being eyed.
READ MORE: 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2020
According to Deadline, A24 is ready to take Mills’ upcoming still-untitled film starring Phoenix to Europe to search for worldwide distribution this spring. The hope is that a distributor will sign on and prepare the film for a release later in 2020, probably at a time that would be conducive to some awards recognition.
While we still don’t know an official title (there is speculation around social media that it’ll be titled “C’mon, C’mon,” but no title has been confirmed), we do know that filming recently wrapped, and joining Phoenix in the cast are Gaby Hoffman, Woody Norman, and Kenneth Kynt Bryan. The film is said to follow Phoenix’s character, an artist, as he goes on a cross-country trip with his young, precocious nephew. Oh, and interestingly, there will be some effects work, which will be provided by Peter Jackson’s WETA Digital. So, maybe we’ll see some Orcs? (Kidding.)
With Phoenix picking up the Oscar a couple of days ago for his role in “Joker,” all eyes are on the next project from the actor. And sure, it’s unlikely that thematically and stylistically, Mills’ film will share anything similar to Todd Phillips’ comic book adaptation, but the filmmaker’s previous projects, “20th Century Women” and “Beginners” are both critically-acclaimed and award-winning. So, there’s a chance Phoenix could be in line for more trophies later this year.
As mentioned, we don’t have an official release date yet, but it’s fairly clear that Mills’ newest will arrive in 2020, so that’s worth celebrating.
