EXCLUSIVE: Damien Chazelle‘s next film looks to have its sights sets on some serious star power as Deadline is hearing Cillian Murphy and Daniel Craig are in negotiations to star in a new untitled pic from the Oscar-winning director. Chazelle will direct and has written the script and will also produce alongside Olivia Hamilton under their Wild Chickens Productions banner. Paramount Pictures will distribute the film.
While unconfirmed, insiders say the film will be set in a prison.
If deals end up closing for the two stars, production is expected to start later this year. Chazelle had been weighing several projects in recent months including an Evel Knievel pic with Leonardo DiCaprio circling the lead role. With the studio unable to make a deal for DiCaprio, Chazelle circled back to his prison drama as his next film. As with any Chazelle feature, A-list talent is always circling given his track record and this case was no different with Murphy and Craig high on the project following a meeting with Chazelle.
Murphy is coming off his Oscar-winning role in Christopher Nolan’s hit drama Oppenheimer. He recently wrapped production on the highly-anticipated Peaky Binders movie, The Immortal Man, at Netflix and was also recently seen in Small Things Like These.
Craig was most recently seen in the A24 pic Queer, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Next up, he is set to reprise his role as Benoit Blanc in the upcoming Knives Out sequel Wake Up Dead Man, which will bow later this year on Netflix.
Craig and Murphy are repped by CAA and Chazelle is repped by WME.
