In April, acclaimed director Damien Chazelle partnered with Paramount for his upcoming film, which is rumored to be set in a prison. This project is described as a “mid-budget” drama with action elements and is scheduled to begin production in October, aiming for a 2025 release.
Chazelle’s last film, “Babylon,” struggled at the box office, grossing $63 million against a production budget of nearly $100 million. Paramount faced an estimated loss of $87 million from the film. Interestingly, “Babylon” was a significant success in France, earning praise from both critics and audiences.
Earlier this year, Chazelle revealed he was nearly finished writing a new script. However, he expressed uncertainty about Hollywood’s reception following the financial disappointment of “Babylon.”
“I’ve been sort of busy writing. So I’ll get a taste of how it’s changed or not [since ‘Babylon’] once I get to finish this script and try to get it made. I’m in a sort of trepidatious state of mind, but I have no illusions. I won’t get a budget of ‘Babylon’ size any time soon, or at least not on this next one,” Chazelle remarked.
He acknowledged the impact of “Babylon’s” financial failure on his creative process. “Certainly, in financial terms, ‘Babylon’ didn’t work at all. You try to not have that affect what you’re doing creatively, but, at some level, it can’t help but affect it. But maybe that’s okay? I have very mixed mind about it. Maybe I won’t be able to get this one made. We’ll have to wait and see,” he added.
Chazelle’s previous directorial achievements include “Whiplash,” “La La Land,” and “First Man.” Despite the flaws of “Babylon,” it was a bold and ambitious cinematic effort that deserved more appreciation than it received.
