In a casting move that’s already setting cinephile circles abuzz, Cillian Murphy and Daniel Craig are confirmed to star in the next feature from Damien Chazelle, the Oscar-winning director of La La Land and Whiplash. The film — currently untitled and cloaked in secrecy — will be distributed by Paramount Pictures, with Chazelle directing from his own script. Early reports suggest a gritty prison setting, marking a striking tonal shift for the filmmaker known for rhythm, romance and jazz-fuelled intensity.
This marks the first on-screen collaboration between Murphy and Craig, two of the most compelling actors of their generation. Murphy, fresh off his Academy Award win for Oppenheimer, recently wrapped Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man and appeared in the acclaimed Small Things Like These. Craig, meanwhile set to reprise his role as Benoit Blanc in Wake Up Dead Man, the next Knives Out mystery.
Chazelle’s project has reportedly been circling several A-list names, but Murphy and Craig emerged as frontrunners following meetings with the director. The film is being produced under Chazelle’s Wild Chickens Productions banner alongside Olivia Hamilton, with production expected to begin later this year.
Though few plot details are available, insiders hint at a drama charged with psychological intensity — a departure from Chazelle’s previous work, but one that promises to showcase his directorial versatility.
