Martin Scorsese's "What Happens at Night," which wrapped production in the summer, just picked up a surprise name.
Here’s Variety reporting that Charli XCX has a small role in Scorsese’s film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as an American couple who travel to a small European town to adopt a baby, a process that slowly unravels them in deeply disturbing directions.
Charli’s role is under wraps, but she's in good company, with Mads Mikkelsen, Patricia Clarkson and Jared Harris also in the ensemble. The Apple-produced film is based on Peter Cameron’s novel of the same name, with the screenplay adapted by Patrick Marber (“Closer”).
Scorsese actually appears on the cover of Charli's new album, "Music, Fashion, Film," alongside John Cale and Marc Jacobs, each representing one of the three art forms in the title. She has been on a tear lately, with seven films in two years — some of which were not critically well met.
Charli broke out with lead roles in Pete Ohs' "Erupcja," which she co-wrote, and the A24 mockumentary "The Moment," while picking up supporting parts in Daniel Goldhaber's "Faces of Death" remake, Romain Gavras' "Sacrifice," Julia Jackman's "100 Nights of Hero," Gregg Araki's "I Want Your Sex" and Cathy Yan's "The Gallerist." A Takashi Miike project is also on the way.
"What Happens at Night" is produced by Apple and StudioCanal, and marks Scorsese's follow-up to "Killers of the Flower Moon," which also starred DiCaprio and nabbed 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. No release date has been set. My current prediction is a Cannes 2027 world premiere.
This summer’s production also marked Scorsese’s first time back on a set in nearly five years; principal photography on “Killers of the Flower Moon” wrapped in October 2021. Fans have long speculated about his next move, and this latest one carries echoes of “Shutter Island” in its eerie, psychological tone, with Scorsese further name-checking “Vertigo” as an inspiration.
Jaume Collet-Serra is directing, which makes perfect sense. He's the guy who turned "Carry-On" — a script that sat on a shelf for 11 years — into Netflix's third most-watched film ever.