George Clooney’s next directorial effort is putting together quite the cast. Per Deadline, Clooney is in talks with Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, and Josh Brolin to lead his next film, Suburbicon. The 1950s-set noir drama boasts a script by Joel and Ethan Coen, who with this, Unbroken, and Bridge of Spies have carved out a new side-career as screenwriters for other people’s projects.
While the film is not yet set up at a studio, Sony Pictures is apparently the frontrunner to distribute what will surely be a star-studded affair. But that’s not all! Clooney has secured Oscar-winner Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood, Nightcrawler) as his director of photography, ensuring that this will be immaculately photographed as well.
While little is known about the plot at the moment, Suburbicon is said to be in the vein of the Coens’ Blood Simple. Filming is set to get underway next October once the schedules for all involved clear, but this is shaping up to be one hell of a promising feature.
That said, there’s certainly reason to pause. Clooney’s last directorial effort, The Monuments Men, was a star-studded affair with a promising premise, but in execution was a bland disappointment. Some may feel this is a warning sign to not get excited about Suburbicon, but I think it actually makes the film more interesting. Clooney was candid about the disappointment of Monuments Men, and now he’s got something to prove—with a Coen Brothers script, Robert Elswit, and a stellar cast in tow. It’s possible he’s itching to fully expand the directorial talents he’s shown shades of in previous films, and I’m mighty curious to see how he approaches this material.
Clooney and Damon, of course, go way back, and the actor just recently worked opposite Brolin on the Coen Brothers’ next film Hail, Caesar!. These actors haven’t completed their deals yet so it’s possible one or more may fall out (Brolin will likely have to fit the Avengers: Infinity War shoot into his schedule late next year), but I say so far, so good.
