Ari Aster’s “Eddington” is set to start production on March 11 in Albuquerque, via Production Weekly. That’s a day after the Oscars — Emma Stone, who is supposed to star in the film, might win Best Actress the day before production begins.
The film, set to star Stone, Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal, is a Western that takes place during the pandemic. It’s being described as an “ensemble film.” Candice Bergen is also rumored to be part of the cast.
“Eddington” tackles a couple (Lindsay and Marc) driving through New Mexico, on their way to Los Angeles, who run out of gas just outside of small town Eddington, New Mexico. Lindsay and Marc decide to enter the town for help. They are, at first, greeted very warmly, but, as nightfall comes, the picturesque setting soon turns into a nightmare.
In the summer, Aster and Phoenix were spotted in New Mexico doing some location scouting for “Eddington”, dubbed as a “Western comedy”. Aster had originally spoken about “Eddington” during an AMA on Reddit. It seems as though he’s been working on this one for a while:
“There was a period of time when I thought “Midsommar” would be the debut feature, and there was a period when I thought another script called “Eddington” might be the first movie. For like five years, I was trying to get that Western-noir dark ensemble comedy going. That won’t be the next one, by the way, though I do still want to make it very badly. I made Hereditary first, but I always had “Midsommar” in my back pocket, like it was right there in me.”
Aster is coming off the polarizing “Beau is Afraid,” he’s also the twisted mind behind “Hereditary” and “Midsommar.” He’s built up quite the fanbase with these three films. A24, who have backed him since his debut, will be taking care of “Eddington.”