Coming off “Oh, Canada,” which premiered at Cannes, Paul Schrader is telling me that he’ll be shooting his next film, titled “Non Compos Mentis,” in November.
Earlier in the year, Schrader revealed that the film would tackle “sexual obsession” within the film noir genre. I asked Schrader if Kevin Spacey was going to be part of the project, to which the filmmaker replied, “Kevin doesn’t have to worry.”
Schrader has defended Spacy numerous times and recently hinted at potentially working with the blacklisted actor, including in a now-shelved Frank Sinatra biopic:
Kevin Spacey is a great actor. He won two Oscars. He was found not guilty. Why would I not work with him?
The good news is that it looks as though Schrader's six-decade cinematic journey will not be ending with “Oh, Canada.” In his own words, Schrader has weaved a new narrative which is set to be an unflinching look at “sexual irresponsibility.” He already has the money to make it and is now in the process of completing casting.
Last year, Schrader mentioned having written another screenplay, this one titled “Three Guns at Dawn,” and that he couldn’t direct it because he wasn’t black. He’s now asked Antoine Fuqua to helm it. The story, set in Los Angeles’ South Central, concerns three brothers — a dirty cop, a serial killer, and a drug dealer.
Schrader has a few things to do before he starts shooting “Non-Compos Mentis”. Next month, he’ll be presiding over the Jury at the Sarajevo Film Festival. Then, in September, he’ll be at TIFF for the North American premiere of his “Oh, Canada”. The film still has no U.S. distributor.