When news about Ari Aster surface, hardcore horror and arthouse fans are quick to stand on end. Impressive from the start with his debut film “Hereditary,” and further honing his style with his subsequent films “Midsommar” and “Beau is Afraid,” the American filmmaker has come out of nowhere; demonstrating boldness and originality in his creative touch, and drawing from his study of folklore, the occult, and the human psyche to create stories full of atmosphere, mystery, and awe. After starting filming in March last year, Aster is finally ready to present his next “Eddington,” a film that he also works on as a screenwriter and producer, and which once again stars the irreplaceable Joaquin Phoenix.

According to Variety's sources, the title could be shown with an official preview at the next edition of the Cannes Film Festival; a new opportunity for the filmmaker, who for the first time would enjoy the visibility of such a prestigious event to give prestige to his work. From the little information available, we know that the film will consist of an atypical western, and will move from horror to a tone more tending towards black comedy. At the center of the plot we will find a couple blocked for unknown circumstances in a Mexican town. Although initially the two will receive a good welcome from the citizens, during the night something mysterious will happen that will put them in serious danger. According to initial information, Phoenix will play the role of sheriff, and will take advantage of the events in progress to feed his big ambitions. Among the big names who will join Phoenix we will find Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal and Austin Butler, the latter in a particularly fruitful phase of his career after the success of "Dune - Part II". Revealing some interesting details about the experience he lived with the director, the actor stated with great enthusiasm: “I am a huge fan of Ari, Joaquin, Emily (Emma Stone), the cinematographer Darius Khondji and everyone involved. The entire team I worked with was incredible. I don't want to reveal too much about the story and the character but it was an amazing adventure that I was lucky enough to have. I played a character very different from anything I've done before”.

And opening up to some good considerations about the director, he added: “Ari and I have been friends for a while, and it was great to see him on set. He is an incredible director, he has such confidence, a sense of humor and a wild imagination. I really loved working with him”. Relying once again on the distribution of A24 - the American production company that has been dictating the rules of independent cinema and free expression for some time - Aster aims to keep his poetics intact without being excessively influenced by the economic aspect; and sees in his next title the result of a process built on the results obtained with previous releases. In a past interview, he commented on the label: “They are fantastic, they give freedom, they leave space for directors, they encourage them. They allow you to work autonomously. They have invented a brand, a style. They have been clever in developing their brand. And they have been ingenious in bringing some films to a wider audience, creating excitement and talent. This is a characteristic. I hope they can maintain that as they continue to grow, because they are getting bigger and bigger...” And on the potential commercial success of the new film, he said: “Beau is afraid at the box office did not do well. And so on this new project I was under pressure. And yet, Beau is the result of the success of the first two films that I did. I am... navigating. I am approaching my new film, but I do not know how to talk about it. Distributing and producing a work is also a question of economics. However, the experience of a set is very different from this more technical aspect.”