Browse Updates
Jan 22
2020

According to multiple sources, including Screen Rant, Guillermo del Toro has quietly started filming his new movie, Nightmare Alley. Even before The Shape of Water opened, del Toro was already working with writer Kim Morgan on an adaptation of William Lindsay Gresham’s ’40s-set noir novel Nightmare Alley. Gresham’s story was previously turned into a movie by Edmund Goulding in 1947 (a year after it was published), but del Toro and Morgan are said to be drawing primarily from the original book for their upcoming film. And although there hasn’t been an official announcement, it appears shooting has already gotten underway. Nightmare Alley tells the tale of a con man who teams up with a carnival mentalist to swindle people out of their money. Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett are playing the sleazy pair in the film, with Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, and Willem Dafoe costarring alongside Ron Perlman, Richard Jenkins and Michael Shannon. As for del Toro, Nightmare Alley will be the first movie he’s made that doesn’t include any supernatural or sci-fi elements. It will be interesting to see how that affects his storytelling approach, considering what a huge role the fantastical has played in del Toro’s filmography so far. It’s safe to assume Nightmare Alley will be as visually rich as his previous work, especially with Crimson Peak and The Shape of Water cinematographer Dan Laustsen serving as del Toro’s DP again. But with a cast full of heavy-hitters, the movie should provide some meaty adult drama and strong characterization to go with its stylish atmosphere.

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