What’s next for French director Jacques Audiard after “Emilia Pérez”? Variety reports both a return and a departure for the modern auteur. Audiard will reunite with Netflix for his next project, but he’ll do so working in a genre he’s never done before, adapting the buzzy French horror novel “La Nuit Ravagée” by Jean-Baptiste Del Amo.
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And from the sounds of its plot, “La nuit ravagée” sounds like a continental send-up of the best novels of Stephen King. Set in the early ’90s in a fictional suburb on the outskirts of Toulouse, the film follows a group of teens and their misadventures in an abandoned house haunted by something supernatural. Publisher Gallimard released Del Amo’s novel last year to wild acclaim in France; an English translation is expected sometime in 2027, under the title “The Ravaged Night.” It’s worth noting that another Del Amo adaptation, the 2023 French sci-fi film “Le Règne Animal” (or “The Animal Kingdom”), was a massive hit in France, too, winning five César Awards. After the similar success of “Emilia Pérez” at the Césars, winning seven of its twelve nominations, including Best Film, expect the release of “La nuit ravagée” to be a major event in Audiard’s native country, despite being a Netflix original. A Cannes Film Festival world premiere is all but assured.
It’s also intriguing that “La nuit ravagée” will be Audiard’s first horror movie. Known primarily for intense social dramas like “A Prophet” and “Rust And Bone,” this project will be quite a departure from the director’s typical fare. But then “Emilia Pérez” was a departure and then some, and look how that film did despite some caustic reviews: seven Césars, two Oscars in thirteen nominations, and the Jury Prize at Cannes 2024, among other accolades. It also helps that horror, a perennial cash-cow genre, is doing especially well this year with the global successes of “Obsession” and “Backrooms.” This could be the perfect moment for Audiard to dip his toe in this particular genre.
The big mystery now will be whether “La nuit ravagée” will skip a theatrical release in France entirely. The country’s windowing rules keep Netflix from releasing films theatrically until 15 months after they premiere. Don’t be surprised if the popularity and regard for Audiard and Del Amo’s work prompt an exception.
Stay tuned for more details on “La nuit ravagée” as they arrive. As for when this one will no doubt premiere on the Croisette at Cannes? Let’s predict 2028.
