Damien Chazelle’s new film ‘Babylon‎’ releases stills, old-time Hollywood glitz

We are currently knee-deep into Fall Film Festival Season and because of that, we’re looking ahead to awards time and then perhaps the Oscars in early 2023. And while many of the big contenders will make their debuts at the various festivals, one major film is barely going to sneak in under the wire in December, but judging by a new first look at the feature, ‘Babylon‎’ could be the runaway favorite when trophies are handed out. 

Thanks to Vanity Fair, we get our first look at the upcoming drama, “Babylon,” from filmmaker Damien Chazelle. Yes, the director behind “Whiplash,” “La La Land,” and “First Man” is back and this time, he’s bringing his most ambitious project to date. “Babylon” is a star-studded feature about the change in Hollywood from silent films to “talkies.” As you might expect, it’s filled with lavish costumes, wild characters, and a ridiculous number of A-listers bringing everything to life. 

“The basic idea was just to do a big, epic, multicharacter movie, set in these early days of Los Angeles and Hollywood, when both of these things were coming into what we now think of them as,” said Chazelle. “Everything is shifting underneath people’s feet, and I became really fascinated by the human cost of disruption at that magnitude, at a time when there was no road map, when everything was just new and wild.”

The cast is led by Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and newcomer Diego Calva. However, as seen in the first-look photos, there are plenty of other stars including Tobey Maguire, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Max Minghella, Lukas Haas, Samara Weaving, Katherine Waterston, and many, many more. With a cast like this and the period setting, it’s no wonder Chazelle believes this is his biggest project yet. 

“It was definitely the hardest thing I’ve done,” he said. “Just the logistics of it, the number of characters, the scale of the set pieces, the span of time that the movie charts—it all conspired to make it particularly challenging, but it was a challenge that was pretty exciting to take on.”

While “Babylon” isn’t scheduled to play any festivals just yet, the film is expected to arrive in theaters on December 25. So, don’t worry, this one is coming soon enough. 

Related Post: ‘Babylon‎’ Confirms Tobey Maguire Starring Comedy Master Charlie Chaplin.

Related Post: Damien Chazelle’s new film ‘Babylon‎’ releases character posters.