OK, we’ve been through this one before, but let’s recap. In late fall of 2022, an incredible project was announced worth of our Most Anticipated Films Of The Year list, but perhaps more for 2025. Renowned Polish filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski, known for critically acclaimed and celebrated dramas like “Ida” and “Cold War” was teaming up with Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara for a movie titled, “The Island.”
However, the film’s cinematographer Łukasz Żal said the drama fell into financial peril during pre-production and might not be made at all. “Honestly, I don’t know,” Żal said about when the project will go forward a few months back. “Because Paweł Pawlikowski’s film—I don’t know when we are going to do that because we lost a lot of money because of the strike. There [are other] project[s], but of course, Paweł is [the] priority. Honestly, I don’t know. But I’m not working on anything now––I’m just doing some commercials.”
Well, there is at least something of a hopeful update out of the Berlin Film Festival today where Mara is for “La Cocina,” her upcoming kitchen drama for celebrated Mexican filmmaker Alonso Ruizpalacios, known for “A Cop Movie” (our review of “La Cocina” is coming later this afternoon). The actress said she and Phoenix remain “committed” to making the film.
“Me, Joaquin, and Pawel still have hope that we will make it,” told Deadline today. “We just don’t know when that will be. It doesn’t look like that will happen this year. But we’re all committed to the project.”
If “The Island” doesn’t shoot until next year, we’re looking at 2026 at the earliest, but we shall see.
“The Island” is a period film and dramatic thriller Pawlikowski wrote. It is loosely based on actual events, focusing on an attractive American couple in the 1930s who escaped to their own private paradise on a deserted island and lived off the land. But after a millionaire passing by on his yacht turns the couple into a tabloid newspaper sensation, a self-styled countess appears with two lovers and plans to build a luxury hotel on the island.
Mara, after a long, prolific spell of acting between 2015 and 2018, which saw her in a dozen movies, including “Carol,” “A Ghost Story,” and Terence Malick’s “Song to Song,” has seemingly taken a long break from acting after having her first child with Phoenix. Since 2021, she’s only appeared in three movies, “Nightmare Alley,” “Women Talking,” and the aforementioned “La Cocina,”
So, Mara has been super selective in what she’ll star in. One of those projects is Lynne Ramsay’s “Polaris,” which wrapped production last year, and another is Pawlikowski’s film. The issue may be, will the filmmaker himself wait an extra year to make the film? Or will he move on to something else to pay the bills? Time will tell, but fingers crossed, we may one day get to visit “The Island” with Mara and Phoenix in the starring roles.