Damien Chazelle, the director behind ‘La La Land’ and ‘Whiplash’, is mounting what looks set to be a significant comeback after the infamous box-office failure of ‘Babylon’ in 2022. His next project is an untitled 1940s psychodrama set within a prison, and he has assembled two of the most compelling actors working today to lead it: Daniel Craig and Cillian Murphy.According to GQ, for Craig, the film continues what has been a deliberately eclectic post-Bond era, following his turn in ‘Knives Out’ and his acclaimed performance in ‘Queer’. For Murphy, it is very much business as usual, the arthouse and mid-budget space being familiar territory even in the years since ‘Oppenheimer’ and his Oscar win for best actor.
What we know about the film so far
Concrete details remain scarce given the secrecy surrounding the project. The film is currently untitled, no release date has been confirmed, and the casting has not been officially announced. However, film blog World of Reel reports that Craig will play a prison warden who sets out to break Murphy’s “defiant inmate” within a “brutal correctional system.”Production began last month, which would suggest a 2027 release is a reasonable expectation. Michelle Williams and Mia Threapleton have also been confirmed to have been cast, with Threapleton reportedly pictured shooting scenes with Murphy late last month.
Why the film is generating serious awards buzz
High-profile prison dramas have historically performed well at the Oscars, and on paper, this project fits that mould convincingly. The psychological angle draws comparisons to Alan Parker’s ‘Midnight Express’, one of the genre’s most celebrated entries. With Craig yet to receive an Oscar nomination and Murphy fresh off his first win, the combination of material and talent makes this one of the more compelling awards prospects on the horizon.The untitled Chazelle film is expected to arrive in 2027.
