Chilean director Pablo Larraín had a major 2016, releasing three films in the United States with The Club, Neruda, and his English-language debut Jackie. It was thought he would continue working in Hollywood with his next project, the post-9/11 drama The True American starring Kumail Nanjiani, Mark Ruffalo, and Amy Adams. However, it seems like the production is being delayed to 2019 (and a new cast may become attached), so in the meantime, he’s embarked on a smaller feature in his native country.
Starting today, he’s beginning the shoot for Ema, a dance-focused drama starring frequent collaborator Gael García Bernal and newcomer Mariana Di Girolamo, Indiewire reports. Coming together fairly quickly, conceived just a few months ago, the script written by Guillermo Calderon (Neruda) and Alejandro Moreno follows Bernal as a dance choreographer and Di Girolamo as his schoolteacher wife. As they face the hardships of a failed adoption, they will express themselves through dance. ”I think this is a melodrama, which I’ve never done before, where people’s affections for others are essential to the story. There’s a lot of music and a lot of scenes where people are basically sharing their feelings,” said Larraín.
Also starring Paola Yanini and Santiago Cabrera, a six-week shoot is now underway in Valparaíso ahead of a likely 2019 premiere. In the meantime, check out Bernal in the newly-released first trailer for Museum, from Güeros director Alonso Ruizpalacios, and see our review here.