Ari Aster: Last News

Joaquin Phoenix and director Ari Aster have brought their new film Beau Is Afraid to L.A.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic Poor Beau. Nearly half a century on Earth, and he’s never really lived. Sure, he was born — that much director Ari Aster depicts from Beau’s point of view at the outset of his wildly self-indulgent and frequently surreal third feature, “Beau Is Afraid,” lingering long enough to witness the infant’s umbilical cord being snipped — but what has Beau done with his life since then? Can it be said that he ever really developed an identity apart from his successful single mom, Mona Wasserman, who haunts the film for the better part of three hours before finally revealing herself? Not since “Psycho” has an off-screen mother loomed so large over a film’s protagonist, played here by Joaquin Phoenix, cowering from the world. The Hitchcock comparison could be misleading, since Aster (who helmed indie studio A24’s two most successful horror movies, “Hereditary” and “Midsommar”) makes a surprising tonal shift away from traditional nightmare material for this deranged road trip, which follows Beau cross-country — and through several substitute families — to face his intimidating Jewish mom.

At a surprise New York City screening, or rather unveiling, of Beau Is Afraid a few days ago, the Q&A moderator, actress Emma Stone, reportedly began by asking writer-director Ari Aster, “Are you okay, Ari?”

Joaquin Phoenix kept a low profile at a screening for his highly anticipated new movie Beau Is Afraid.

Academy Award-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix is a man committed to his craft, able to garner attention on and off-screen. He certainly did just that when he fainted while filming a scene with Patti LuPone in his new film, "Beau is Afraid." In a Q&A at a surprise screening for the upcoming movie, writer-director Ari Aster revealed that Phoenix actually ruined a shot by passing out. "There was a scene that was very intense for Patti, and it was a shot that was on Patti, it was not on him and all of a sudden he fell out of frame," Aster said of Phoenix.

Joaquin Phoenix suffered an injury on the set of his new movie Beau is Afraid.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Emma Stone was blunt. “Are you okay, man?” she asked Ari Aster after a surprise screening of his latest film, “Beau Is Afraid” at Brooklyn’s Alamo Drafthouse on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Audiences around the country may be asking variations of the same question after they emerge from the occasionally creepy, often hilarious and deeply weird horror-comedy. It’s a movie about a neurotic man (Joaquin Phoenix) with serious mommy issues, who must endure a phantasmagoric odyssey as he labors to get home following a family tragedy. Over the course of his journey he will be kidnapped by a suburban couple (Nathan Lane and Amy Ryan), stalked by a hulking vet with PTSD, menaced by a paint-drinking teenage girl and embraced by an experimental theater troupe. There’s also an animated sequence, as well as a recurring gag involving Phoenix’s distended testicles, plus a sex scene with Parker Posey that may rank among the wackiest ever committed to film. Oh, and did we mention the whole thing is three hours long?

Ari Aster pulled an epic April Fool’s prank on moviegoers expecting to see a screening of Midsommar but instead were treated to a screening of his newest film Beau Is Afraid starring Joaquin Phoenix.

Y2K.The film is set to be helmed by Saturday Night Live alumnus Kyle Mooney in his directorial debut.

Death On The Nile and Tenet, revealed his choices in a poll for Sight and Sound magazine.Since 1952, the magazine has asked various filmmakers every decade for their lists of the greatest films of all time. As part of the Winter 2022-23 issue, directors like Branagh, Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson, Barry Jenkins and Ari Aster were invited to contribute their favourites.Branagh’s top pick was The Godfather, while Cloud Atlas and Lady Bird also made his top 10.

EXCLUSIVE: Patrick Kwok-Choon, notably recognized for his work in Star Trek: Discovery, has signed with Buchwald for representation.

EXCLUSIVE: Leonine Studios and A24 have closed an all rights-deal for Ari Aster’s upcoming movie Beau Is Afraid for Germany and Austria.

Alex Wolff (Hereditary) will reteam with Pig filmmaker Michael Sarnoski on the Paramount Pictures horror A Quiet Place: Day One, Deadline can confirm. He’s set to star alongside Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o and Stranger Things breakout Joseph Quinn.

EXCLUSIVE: WandaVision‘s best song Emmy win for “Agatha All Along”, performed by Kathryn Hahn, set the bar high for the spinoff series Agatha: Coven of Chaos, headlined by Hahn reprising her role as bad gal Agatha Harkness. The Marvel offshoot is now adding some big musical theater firepower, with three-time Tony winner Patti LuPone joining the cast of the upcoming series for Disney+, sources tell Deadline.

EXCLUSIVE: The 2x Primetime Emmy nominated and Golden Globe winning Gabriel Byrne has closed a deal, we hear, to star opposite Ana de Armas in the John Wick spinoff Ballerina.

Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints Of Newark) is set for a major role opposite Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio in Daredevil: Born Again, Marvel’s upcoming revival series on Disney+, sources tell Deadline.

On Monday, Oscar winner Nicolas Cage continued filming his unrecognizable role as a balding man on the Toronto set of Norweigean director Kristoffer Borgli's comedy Dream Scenario.The eccentric 58-year-old - who's currently 'commanding $4M a picture' - wore a prosthetic bald cap and padding, glasses, and a grey beard with winter clothing selected by costume designer Natalie Bronfman.Word has it that Hereditary and Midsommar filmmaker Ari Aster - who's producing Dream Scenario - was the one who convinced Nicolas to take on the mystery part in the A24 film. Action! On Monday, Oscar winner Nicolas Cage continued filming his unrecognizable role as a balding man on the Toronto set of Norweigean director Kristoffer Borgli's comedy Dream ScenarioShooting is expected to run through November 19 on Dream Scenario - which also features Tim Meadows, Michael Cera, Julianne Nicholson, and Dylan Baker.Cage was first pictured on the set October 28 while filming a scene at the entrance of a movie theater with 51-year-old Julianne, who won an Emmy Award for her work in HBO's 2021 miniseries Mare of Easttown.On Monday, C2 Motion Picture Group CEO Dave Caplan confirmed Deadline's report that The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent producer-star will co-produce and star in Osgood Perkins' psychological thriller Longlegs, which shoots next year.Nicolas reportedly received close to $3M from Universal Pictures for a supporting role as Count Dracula in Chris McKay's horror-comedy Renfield, which hits US theaters April 14.

Nicolas Cage was nearly unrecognizable when he was spotted for the first time on the Toronto set of his upcoming movie.Produced by A24, the film is a called Dream Scenario, and though Deadline has reported it is a comedy no other details about the premise have been made public.The 58-year-old movie star wore a grizzled bear and a large prosthetic bald patch, disappearing even further into character by way of a pair of spectacles. Incredible: Nicolas Cage was nearly unrecognizable when he was spotted for the first time on the Toronto set of his upcoming movieHe was spotted this Friday filming a scene at the entrance of a movie theater with his co-star Julianne Nicholson, who recently won an Emmy for Mare Of Easttown.

Kristoffer Borgli’s newest film Dream Scenario, which Deadline first reported, has added Emmy Award winner Julianne Nicholson, Dylan Baker, Kate Berlant, Michael Cera, Dylan Gelula and Tim Meadows to star alongside Nicolas Cage. Filming stars this month.

Personality Crisis: One Night Only, directed by Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi, is a documentary that follows punk pioneer David Johansen, which premiered at NYFF60. The film follows Johansen, who, during his residency in New York City in 2020, gave a detailed account of his life, how he navigated the music scene from the 1970s up to the present day, and why music is integral to his existence. 

Just months after his critically-acclaimed The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Nicolas Cage is eyeing a return to the comedy genre.The 58-year-old actor has signed on to star in Dream Scenario for A24 Films, according to a new report from Deadline.While no other cast members have signed on, Hereditary and Midsommar director Ari Aster will serve as a producer. More comedy: Just months after his critically-acclaimed The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Nicolas Cage is eyeing a return to the comedy genre New film: The 58-year-old actor has signed on to star in Dream Scenario for A24 Films, according to a new report from Deadline No specific plot details have been given, aside from the fact that the project is indeed a comedy.Norwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli will direct from his own original screenplay, though no production schedule was given.