Damien Chazelle is certainly one of the most influential filmmakers of the last 15 years. Whiplash, La La Land, and First Man garnered 10 Oscars including Best Director as Chazelle became the youngest nominee to ever win in that category. After a four-year hiatus from films, Chazelle returns with his fifth directed feature, Babylon.
Set in 1920s Hollywood, Babylon is an original epic that highlights the transition from silent films to talkies. Written by Chazelle, the explosive first trailer depicts Tinseltown as a decadent city full of sex, drugs, and jazz. At the center of the footage are Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Diego Calva, three figures who are all looking to keep the party going.
Babylon will feature a mix of historical and fictional characters, chronicling both their rise and fall during early Hollywood. The ensemble cast includes Jovan Adepo, Jean Smart, Li Jun Li, Max Minghella, Katherine Waterston, Flea, Lukas Haas, Samara Weaving, Olivia Wilde, and Tobey Maguire, who also serves as an executive producer.
Joining Chazelle to compose the music is his frequent collaborator, Justin Hurwitz, who produced the music for the director’s previous four features. Oscar-winners Linus Sandgren and Tom Cross reteam with Chazelle as the cinematographer and editor, respectively.
Babylon stems from Paramount Pictures, which is having a tremendous year at the box office thanks to films such as Scream, Jackass Forever, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, The Lost City, and the megahit, Top Gun: Maverick.
Babylon opens on December 25 in a limited release before expanding wide on January 6, 2023.
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