After Anora turned Cannes upside down and gave the Oscars a much-needed jolt of electricity, all eyes are on Sean Baker — and all ears, too. Appearing on It Happened in Hollywood,(Per HR) the director of The Florida Project and Red Rocket made it very clear: his next move won't involve capes, CGI, or Kevin Feige.
"Don’t expect a Marvel film. It’s not going to happen" Baker said with a chuckle — but you could feel the steel under the smile. The man who turns motel rooms and strip clubs into emotional epicentres isn’t about to swap raw humanity for franchise fatigue.
Baker confirmed that while the project is still taking shape, the spirit remains defiantly the same: low-budget, high-heart, and stubbornly independent.
"I’m not working for even a mini studio. I’m making my film independently and then going the old school route of hopefully a bidding war or somebody licensing the movie," he explained. "I think that’s the only way to have full autonomy and control over your vision."
Since his breakout with 2015’s Tangerine — famously shot on iPhones — Baker has stuck to a model of guerrilla-style filmmaking, often working with non-professional actors and real-life locations. The Florida Project (2017), made for under $3 million, earned Willem Dafoe an Oscar nomination and cemented Baker’s reputation for blending narrative with documentary-style realism.
His most recent film, Anora, premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and won the Palme d’Or, making Baker the first American director to take the top prize since Terrence Malick in 2011. The film, which stars Mikey Madison as a Brooklyn sex worker who impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch, was praised for its tonal shifts, kinetic pacing, and emotional precision.
Speaking on the podcast, Baker noted that while nothing is officially greenlit, he’s continuing to write and develop ideas solo, without institutional backing. He also mentioned that casting and locations will remain flexible, depending on funding and scheduling.
