Damien Chazelle is returning to the twilight of Hollywood’s silent era in his newest film “Babylon.”
Starring Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, “Babylon” is set in the late 1920s and captures the film industry’s transition from silent films to “talkies” due to the invention of synchronized sound. Pitt plays a silent film star during the time, and Robbie is a Roaring ’20s icon. As Hollywood shifts around them, they are forced to grapple with an evolving industry.
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“When I first moved to Hollywood, the stars on all the doors said ‘No actors and no dogs allowed,’” Pitt’s character says in the trailer. “I changed that.”
The big, loud, boisterous footage is complete with opulent parties, cocaine, topless women and dancing. At one point, Robbie’s character commands attention at a pool party by yelling, “Listen up all you big dick men… who wants to see me fight a fucking snake?”
Pitt’s character, with an alcoholic beverage in hand, pauses before shouting, “Fuck, yeah!”
The ensemble cast includes Diego Calva, Tobey Maguire, Max Minghella, Spike Jonze, Jean Smart, Flea, Jeff Garlin, P.J. Byrne, Samara Weaving and Olivia Wilde. Originally, Emma Stone was set to star in the film, but she exited in late 2020 due to scheduling conflicts. Robbie then replaced the “La La Land” star.
“Babylon” has been heavily anticipated as Chazelle’s first project since 2018’s “First Man.” The biopic, which starred Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong, garnered positive reviews but did not resonate with audiences to the same degree as Chazelle’s 2016 Oscar-winning musical “La La Land.” While “La La Land” famously did not bring home the best picture at the Academy Awards, then 32-year-old Chazelle became the youngest filmmaker to win the Oscar for best director.
With “Babylon,” it seems that Chazelle is going to be taking another shot at Oscar success. The film is set to release on Dec. 25, smack dab in the middle of awards season.
Watch the full trailer below.
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