Following the release of Mommy, we thought Xavier Dolan‘s schedule would be pretty much filled for this year, shooting his biggest project yet, The Life and Death of John F. Donovan. However, not only will be part of the Cannes Film Festival jury next month, he’ll also begin production on another newly unveiled film and today brings the first details.
According to Variety, Marion Cotillard, Léa Seydoux, Vincent Cassel, Nathalie Baye and Gaspard Ulliel have joined Dolan’s French-language film It’s Only the End of the World, translated from Juste La Fin Du Monde. Based on a play by Jean-Luc Lagarce, it follows a writer who goes back to his hometown, “planning on announcing his upcoming death to his family. As resentment soon rewrites the course of the afternoon, all attempts of empathy are sabotaged by people’s incapacity to listen and love.” With a great cast and intriguing synopsis, it has the makings of another emotionally poignant feature for the director and at the end of this year, it’ll mean he has seven features under his belt.
“I’m absolutely thrilled about It’s Only the End of the World, especially for the work with the actors,” Dolan says in a press release. “It is my utmost priority and most visceral passion to work with inspiring talent on set and not only direct them, but, as an actor-director, act with and through them, even from the other side of the mirror.” Following production on this recently unveiled project, The Life and Death of John F. Donovan will kick off this fall with Kit Harington, Jessica Chastain, Susan Sarandon, and Kathy Bates.
Are you looking forward to Dolan’s next projects?