For good reason, some have wondered what the future might be for Damien Chazelle following the utter dud Babylon turned out to be. While he’s agreed to produce Heart of the Beast for director David Ayer, Chazelle hasn’t decided to give up directing just yet. Announced at CinemaCon, Chazelle will direct his sixth feature and his first as part of an overall deal struck with Paramount.
Details on the new film are being kept under wraps, but Chazelle is expected to write and direct, which is typically how he does things. The untitled film will hit theaters in 2025, and could be set in a prison. That’s the only story detail that has emerged, and it’s not even confirmed yet.
Chazelle needs a comeback, which is a crazy thing to say from the guy who has given us awards-worthy films Whiplash, La La Land, and First Man. But Babylon was a massive, expensive flop with a lot of star power. That it failed to attract an audience falls on Chazelle’s head and it’s a blemish that needs to be erased if he ever hopes to get that kind of creative freedom again. [Deadline]
