Joaquin Phoenix, winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor, and Rooney Mara, winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress, have joined the cast of The Island, the next film by Polish filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski. Joker: Folie à Deux, the next project for Phoenix, starts filming next month, although production on The Island is already planned to start in 2023. The Island, which Pawlikowski reportedly wrote and directed, is a dramatic thriller about a 1930s American couple who have grown disillusioned with their country. Pawlikowski’s script is based on real events and follows two people as they leave civilization behind for a remote island, where they want to create their own paradise while avoiding society’s constraints.
One day, a millionaire’s boat sails past and the two lovers’ illicit liaisons become public knowledge, catching the eye of a European countess. The pair have created a quiet utopia, but the description reveals that the Countess and her two strange lovers have designs for the island and want to establish a luxurious hotel there. At the same time that nature turns against these island squatters, “[p]sychological warfare erupts as seduction and jealousy descend into sexual adultery, treachery, and finally murder.” FilmNation Entertainment CEO Glen Basner adds, “Sales for the picture will commence in November “Pawel Pawlikowski is widely regarded as one of the best living directors.
All we need is for Pawel to deliver us a narrative about envy, treachery, and murder in a Garden of Eden, and that’s exactly what we’ll get.” Pawlikowski, whose latest film was the Polish period drama Cold War (2018), which premiered at Cannes and earned him the prize for best director as well as three Oscar nominations, also plans to return to the big screen. Pawlikowski has directed and written for several more features, including My Summer of Love, The Woman in the Fifth, and the critically acclaimed Ida. Although their roles in The Island have not been announced, this will be the first time the two protagonists have worked together since the 2018 historical drama Mary Magdalene.
Before his Oscar-winning performance in Todd Phillips’ Joker, Phoenix was best recognised for roles in films like Gladiator, Walk the Line, and Her. His performance in Joker even convinced Emmy-winner Brendan Gleeson to return for a sequel. Mara’s most famous roles are as Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher’s film adaptations of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Carol, and A Ghost Story. There is currently no scheduled release date for The Island.