Todd Haynes is having a great Cannes, isn’t he? His new film, “May December,” has earned rave reviews (including our own), with folks already predicting Oscars love. And now, it appears he has nothing but amazing projects to talk about coming in the future, including a new film with Joaquin Phoenix.
Speaking to the French outlet, Les Inrockuptibles, Todd Haynes was asked quite a bit about his new Cannes film, but he also gave some hints as to what is coming in the future. It would appear that the filmmaker is still working on a new film starring Michelle Williams, tentatively titled “Fever,” but apparently, he has a brand-new project he’s developing with Joaquin Phoenix.
“Yeah, but there’s another movie I want to do in early 2024,” said Haynes (courtesy of Google Translate). “It’s a project that Joaquin Phoenix brought to me, and it’s set in the 1930s. A love story between two men, based on an original, very audacious scenario. This is, I believe, his first gay role. I am very excited about this project!”
Obviously, any new film with Phoenix attached is worth keeping an eye out for. However, when you add in a filmmaker like Todd Haynes, suddenly you’re looking at a project that will automatically be thought about as a possible awards contender. It’s unclear exactly what the untitled film will be about, but at this point, it doesn’t honestly matter. We’re still excited.
Haynes is probably best known for his Oscar-winning film, “Carol.” That feature stars Cate Blanchett opposite Rooney Mara. And keen observers will notice that Mara is currently in a relationship with Phoenix, which probably helps explain why the actor approached Haynes about this new project.
It’s probably too soon to even consider a release date for this untitled film. That said, if filming does begin in “early 2024,” then we’re probably talking about a late-2024 release, as it would be the perfect timing for an awards push, or perhaps, it’s held until it can have a splashy premiere (perhaps at Cannes) in 2025. We’ll have to wait and see.